


Magic and Marbles

by Danowsawa



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Fluff, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Romance, Separation, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-11-24 04:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18161738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danowsawa/pseuds/Danowsawa
Summary: Erazen is a lieutenant, forbidden to devote himself to anything other than the Silvermoon Guard. Kaenniar is a soldier of Eversong, his affliction forcing him to be bound to nothing but others. But more important than everything keeping these two men apart are the things keeping them together.





	1. Haste

Kaenniar's eyes weakly began to open, only to be shut in a flash as the sunlight pounced onto his waking senses, his hand rushing to cover his face as he grumbled lazily to himself, wholly unprepared to leave the lavishly warm confines of his bed sheets, the thought of escaping such a place like a terror to be avoided at all costs. His muscles ached not only from inactivity, but his fast from magic grinded his joints, his blood vessels noticeably constricting due to the phenomenon, knowing that, despite his struggling, he would, indeed, have to awaken completely, forcing him to leave that wondrously balmy space beside his-

In sudden, terrified realization, Kaenniar's eyes jolted open, his body lurching upward in a massive show of panic as he grappled hold of the sheets, yanking them over his bare chest in uncertainly, having noticed the spot beside him was very much barren, leaving him alone in the bed he had certainly shared with his lieu-

His mind blanked as he caught the visage of his lover, Erazen, leaning against the wall just beside the covered window, the older man's finger pressed against his pursed lips as he gave Kaenniar a mischievous gaze in welcoming before returning to stare out the window, just barely pulling the curtain away from its intentionally shaded nook within the window frame. Kaenniar's heart was still alight from his panic, though Erazen's action had quieted his terror; a natural action for a leader of men to have on his soldiers, to be sure.

"Shhh," Erazen noted as though unsure if Kaenniar had gotten his silent message, "They're just finishing up role call."

His fright returning at a blistering speed, Kaenniar split from the sheets of his bed, rushing to his feet as he hurriedly hunted down his trousers, "Role call?! By the gods! If I'm late again, Ithnis will have my head! Last time, he had me rounding Silvermoon with fifteen buckets on either end of a polearm! I- Why didn't you wake me?!"

Erazen shrugged, "My inspection lingered more than I might have thought it would."

"Jokes?!" Kaenniar cried out in a quiet fury as he nearly tripped upon the fluttering legs of his trousers, yanking the clothe material up one of his legs and then the other, "Eraz, if my commanding officer catches me crawling back into line after arriving late once more, he's going to send me to the Ghostlands!"

The older of the two grinned, pulling his head away from the tiniest of spaces between the curtain and the sill, "So now you're concerned with your duties as a soldier. Funny; you're usually one who's languid disregard for the rules causes me to worry."

Kaenniar bit his lip, his gaze falling toward the ground as he buckled up his belt, "Well, you know… It's one thing to wash the Shepard's Gate, but- I mean, if I get sent off…"

"Look at you; so worried," Erazen teased, "It suits you and your childish antics. So carefree and lackadaisical until the consequences come to the fore."

He chuckled silently as he pulled back the curtain only slightly, "Lucky for you, you've fallen in love with somebody who takes the time to think about more than the next fifteen minutes. Ithnis can have his tantrum when you don't show up; I'll merely say I had you out on assignment at the East Sanctum, my jurisdiction, to try and further improve your subordination."

Erazen smirked, "Perhaps I had you out fighting some plainstriders to try and beat some subservience into you. Those marks on the back of your neck would be consistent with such a beast attacking you while you predictably succumb to the fetal position, I presume?"

Kaenniar reached up to rest a hand upon his neck, catching the still-stinging marks Erazen had left upon him in the none to distant past, pausing his rush to get dressed in wayward admiration for the man by the window, "Wow, y- you actually thought of everything…"

"I actually have to," Erazen reminded with another mischievous grin, "Have you a clue what would happen to a lieutenant caught with his soldier in such a manner as we partake? I'd like to think a Ghostlands assignment would be a merciful one. Ghost 'n everything- I always hated the things. Bleh."

With a weakened voice, Kaenniar muttered in reply, "It's not the ghosts… If I'm off in the Ghostlands, then we-…"

Erazen's eyes cocked back toward his lover, a sincerely sweet smile taking place of his lips' previous form as he released the curtains, their thick material fluttering back against the window as he strode toward Kaenniar, making sure to pick up the ruffled shirt on the floor on the way over, taking care to straighten out its wrinkles as he approached.

"You're terribly cute, you know that," Erazen noted with a chuckle, "For one so flightful, adventurous, and prone to quick thinking, you certainly are helpless at times."

The lieutenant readied the shirt in his hands, clicking his tongue in notification as Kaenniar raised his arms in the air, allowing him to lift the shirt up and diligently pull it down his arms and over his head, the muffled voice of Kaenniar breaking through the fabric, "Maybe that was always my plan. All along."

"Not a chance," Erazen retorted with an authoritative air, as though his powers of deduction were unmatched, "I had you figured out day one, like I do all the men that end up under my command. Admittedly, you had some tricks up your sleeve, but-"

As Erazen yanked the shirt down farther to expose his lover's head, his brow furrowed at the sight of Kaenniar's knowing grin, his eyes alight with the brightness that always accompanied his terribly brilliant moods. In recourse, Erazen cocked a smirk, playfully pushing Kaenniar back a few steps as the younger man laughed with excitement at the prospect of getting beneath his superior's tough exterior.

"Oh? Does the lieutenant have a weakness?" Kaenniar teased, now freed from panic as Erazen turned his head suspiciously, watching the man with a disinterested expression.

Erazen reminded quickly, "I have no weakness, Kaen. You'd do well to remember that, as well. A Silvermoon appointee mustn't have weaknesses."

Kaenniar continued to chuckle at his lover's authoritative tone despite his wearing nothing beyond his undershorts, bending down to retrieve another article of his clothing, only to pause in his tracks as he suddenly felt Erazen's hand against his cheek, gently guiding him back up to his feet. Kaenniar's eyes widened in wonderment at his lover's intense stare that seemed to peer straight through his mind; a wholly disarming sensation that had often left the younger man's heart aflutter.

"What we have- What you do to me. That is not a weakness," Erazen confirmed with a deepening tone, "Don't mistake the fact that I'd give my life for yours as a weakness. I'd much rather keep my own life, as well as yours; that means working double-duty if I have to. That means lying to my superiors if only it means I can watch your sleeping face for a moment longer."

Taken aback, Kaenniar reached up to place his own hand atop Erazen's, holding him in place as he shut his eyes, lifting and dipping the side of his head against his lover's open palm, almost nuzzling against that tender skin. With a dutiful air, Erazen kept his hand in place, despite his lover's direction, only smiling weakly at the sight of such devotion in the face of such troublesome secrecy.

"Let us run off," Kaenniar muttered whimsically, still running his cheek along Erazen's open hand, his voice a weakening whisper as if knowing he was speaking words that would go unrequited, "You made your place in my heart. Let's make our place in the world."

Erazen frowned, "That's your fast from magic speaking, my-"

"It's isn't-!" Kaenniar insisted, his suddenly outburst breaking his lover's hand from his cheek as he leaned closer, "Eraz, it breaks my heart to have to leave you so often! To pretend as though we're-"

"You knew this," Erazen reminded with a darkened voice, "You knew how things would have to be when this began. If you hadn't been so good to me that first night- If you hadn't offered such strong arms to fall into when I broke into the torn parts of a dismantled man- None of what we are, now, was ever supposed to happen. We were only one night, and you've won me over for far longer despite that."

His face narrowed regretfully, "You're betting with chips you haven't got."

Kaenniar's heart trembled.

"I'm a man of Silvermoon, first and foremost," Erazen explained dutifully, "And while my nights are made wonderful at your side, when the sun rests in the sky, I bare my heart for Silvermoon alone; for my people. For our people. If you were a bit less flighty, you might have learned a thing or two about duty."

Trying to break the serious air of its tension, Erazen grinned weakly while flicking a teasing finger against Kaenniar's chest in emphasis, though the younger of the two was unamused by his superior's antics. Kaenniar began to recoil gradually, slowly beginning to turn away when Erazen's hand swiftly reached over to take the side of his face, pulling him back closer, knowing that he'd be unable to resist the sweltering skim of taut skin that sat at his cheek. Guiding him adoringly, Erazen closed the gap between them with a dutiful bowing of his head, closing his eyes as he took his lover's lips into his own, making sure to keep it rather chaste, lest the two of them work their way clear out of the current mood hanging over the two of them.

"I love you," Erazen reminded lightly.

Kaenniar was slower to the draw, though such a thing was what Erazen expected. In such a sulking mood due to his words, Kaenniar was simply trying to save face, attempting to brood and hide away his feelings that Erazen hadn't 'earned', in the sense that he had ruined his lover's mood in the first place. As he'd said earlier, Erazen had, indeed, figured this out much earlier, knowing that such a thing as a kiss was enough to break the man of his sulking spell.

"…I love you, too," Kaenniar finally replied, much to his lover's lukewarm delight.

Reminding once again, Erazen pulled away, "You're cute."

Now his turn to frown, Kaenniar swiped at his superior, "Oh, shut up."

"It's true," Erazen chuckled, "I love your little moods. For all the foolishness that defines your outward appearance- beneath all that, you're deeper than the oceans of Azeroth. 'n I love diving in and discovering what I'll find. Even after all the sneaking around, it's still an adventure with you."

"Hush," Kaenniar muttered in reply, earning him another chuckle from behind the lips of his lover.

Erazen shrugged, muting his laugh, "You're not exactly proving me wrong, you know."

Still wrapped in disappointment, Kaenniar lowered his head to watch the floor with such disinterest, understanding their situation, yet so hating that it had to be the way it was. Perhaps it was his nighttime fasting of magic. All Kaenniar wanted to do was to curl up in bed, right beside his lover, catching all the little jolts of energetic air all across his body as his skin siphoned the invisible fumes of magic coming off every inch of Erazen's body. Not a single bit of his lover's skin was exempt, making his every portion of skin that much more pleasurable, the two men sharing far more than simple magic essence between the two of them.

"Hey, get your head outta the clouds, Kaen," Erazen suddenly spoke up, jolting Kaenniar from his mind, "Where'd my shirt end up?"

Kaenniar roused from his reverie as he began to hunt for the loose article of clothing, rounding the perimeter of the room while Erazen started from its other side. The lieutenant's bedroom was always well made-up, Kaenniar noted as his eyes trailed along the rotund desks and cabinets that matched the curvature of the room's construction.

"Where could it- Ah," Erazen spoke to himself as he bent down to retrieve his shirt with a relieved sigh, shaking his head in disbelief, "You throw my clothes so far; what, do you think I'm in any hurry to-"

Erazen went miff and he looked over his broad shoulder to find Kaenniar transfixed on a spot over atop his desk, the younger of the two apparently catching onto his superior's glance after his abrupt ending to his previous sentence as Kaenniar spoke up, "Your Dalaran Marbles banner…"

"Yep," Erazen nodded casually, "Won that puppy before I joined the ranks. The ultimate game of skill, physics, magical prowess, mental dexterity. Kind of the game all magic users wish they could-"

His voice suddenly vanished as he realized the man's silent intensity, Erazen continuing with a sigh, "Kaen, it's not-"

"No, it's fine," Kaenniar replied helpfully, "I just admire it, is all. I love you so much more because of your magic; it's almost like you complete me in a way."

Knowing his companion to be aching within, saddened by his inabilities, Erazen simply retorted with a sigh, playing along with a shake of his head, "Kaen, you're too cute for your own good."

"Hush," Kaenniar repeated, hating being described in such a way, particularly knowing it was only done to get a rise out of him.

Erazen smirked, finishing up his boots before reaching for the shirt to pull over his head, "I haven't a problem sharing my magic essence with you. Even during our drills, a quick handshake, a pat on your shoulder. I'd hoped that was enough for you, but- Perhaps not."

As he lifted his arms, Kaenniar hurried to his side, reaching out to swiftly wrestle the shirt from his grasp, "Nuh uh. You put mine on. Allow me to return the favor."

"You keep being cute," Erazen mentioned with a wry sort of grin, bringing himself back up to his feet to allow Kaenniar better access to his upturned arms, "Fine. My body is, once again, yours to do with as you wish."

Kaenniar refused to allow his mind to wander at such a statement, simply rolling up the shirt in his hands and reaching to his lover's hands, slowly allowing the garment to unravel as it descended down his arms, finally covering his face, where it inevitably paused, leaving Erazen slightly confused with his arms raised with his shirt concealing his vision. His eyes narrowed suspiciously only for a moment, noticing Kaenniar's hands gently pressing into the exposed skin at his sides as though his lover were handling him to hold him in place.

Sure enough, a gentle kiss rested in the notch between Erazen's chest, leading predictably to Kaenniar's face softly pressing into the same space, just inches away from that vessel that sent magic-infused blood coursing throughout Erazen's body. Turning his head only briefly to keep his nose from jutting into his lover's skin, Kaenniar ran his cheek up and down, taking in not only the warmth that settled there, but the prickly hairs as well, the entangled twinges of magic that sweetly nipped at his own skin like a chorus of dancing lips.

"That's a bit more than returning the favor," Erazen noted with a muffled voice.

Kaenniar didn't much care. If his partner wanted to return the returned favor, it would only prolong their reality that much longer.


	2. Paleray

"O-Ow!" Kaenniar whined as his feet barely kept up with Erazen's studious gait, forced into a bent position as his superior kept a stern hold on his collar, as though bringing back a belligerent goat or other wild animal.

Erazen didn't apologize, simply replying quietly enough, "We've got to make it believable."

"Then make it less believ- OW!"

Erazen yanked him into his waist to keep him quiet, catching the appearance of their Commander, Ithnis Greatsun, as the two men rounded past one of the exterior buildings of the Plainstrider Retreat. The superior slowed himself to avoid suspicion, retaining his usual speed while also making sure Kaenniar remained diligently at his side, taking a preparatory breath as Ithnis' eyes wandered in their direction, the patriarchal man's age reflective quite well in his normally stern cadence and expectations.

"Don't argue, don't get smart," Erazen reminded, "Just take your punishment and be done with it. I can only protect you from so much; he's my superior as well."

Kaenniar struggled for a breath as Erazen's grip worked his collar so tight that he was begging to worry to what lengths his lover was willing to go to feign this sort of authoritative righteousness. His steps slowed as his breaths became more and more sparse, for the most part having to be dragged at Erazen's side, finally finding relief as he was dropped onto the ground, the subtle, snorting breaths of Ithnis making him knows as Kaenniar reached up to grasp his throat to soothe his aching neck.

"Evenforge!" Ithnis barked impatiently, turning from his line of Eversong soldiers to, his piercing stare turning up toward his lieutenant, "What, did you try to run off again?!"

Erazen shook his head, "Such a belligerent young man this one is. Figured I'd drag his ass down and have his wrestle some plaistriders, see if the beasts could knock, or in this case, scratch, some sense into him for you, Commander."

Ithnis' face coiled in indecisive contortions, shooting off from the mouth as such, "Trueguard, my command should be under my watch at all times, understood?!"

Shrugging, Erazen grit his teeth, "The only thing I understand, sir, is that when you promoted me, it was my own view that such issues that could be resolved without your attention or worry should be done so."

"I appreciate the sentiment, lieutenant, but next time," Ithnis spat out, throwing an open finger toward Kaenniar, "This unit is under my command, and I-"

The Commander's eyes flickered curiously, forcing a nervous tremble to work it's way down Erazen's spine. Ithnis' silence even worked a wary breath from Kaenniar as he tried to weakly push himself to his feet, though in a split second, a hand wrangled his hair, yanking the young man back down as Ithnis spewed his speech in suspicion.

"These are not the marks of a plainstrider, Trueguard! These slashes are far too deep. What sort of fool're you trying to make me into?!"

"I told you already, sir," Erazen confirmed, rather relieved to finally understood his superior's apprehension, "I wished to work some obedience into him. That's why we were so late; I took him down to wrestle the southernmost 'striders; they're far more fierce, and far more suitable for belligerent soldiers. Examine his shallow breaths for all the evidence you need; he's been dealt with swiftly."

Ithnis gave a wary glance toward Kaenniar, the blood elf still on all fours in exasperated resignation, his hair still pulled tight in his Commander's clutch, Erazen's voice breaking through the air as he continued, "I figured if you were still in danger of reprimand for sending, yet, another one of you soldiers to the Ghostlands, I would do my best to ensure this one's behavior didn't lead to such a thing."

Scoffing at such an insinuation, Ithnis gave Kaenniar'a hair another massive tug, sending a painful whine past the elf's lips as his hand flew up to grasp his Commander's wrist, a pitiful effort to keep from another strike, though Ithnis seemed satisfied with relieving his soldier if only because Erazen's assertion of his being reprimanded was certainly true. The crotchety old Commander scoffed as he took a step back, spinning back toward the rest of his unit before slowly to a stop.

"C'mon, Paleray. You're doing drills with two buckets again; get a move on!"

Kaenniar trembled at the slur, a reminder of how little of a blood elf he truly was in comparison to the rest. 'Paleray'; blood elves unable to retain magic within themselves the same way as most blood elves. That defining characteristic, missing within Kaenniar's very body, that would forever keep him from being a true Sindorei. His open palm squeezed into a fist atop the dirt road beneath him, squeezing the fistful of dirt and pebbles as tight as he could, his face straining like a vice as he viciously held back tears.

A sudden gasp left him as Erazen's hand took his collar once again, this time pulling him up to his feet, the younger man turning toward his lieutenant with glassy eyes, surprised by such a gesture, though Erazen merely brushed off his chest plate as any officer would, leaving Kaenniar with that unmistakable tug of distance from the man he so dearly loved treating him as any other.

Ithnis waved for his unit to follow along, moving north, and paying no attention to Kaenniar, the lone straggler, who remained at Erazen's side, his head falling low with regret.

"Get moving," Erazen muttered softly, now that the others were out of earshot, "Just get your buckets and-"

Kaenniar whipped his head up toward him with teary eyes, "Erazen, I can't-!"

"Lieutenant."

"Erazen!" Kaenniar disobediently repeated for emphasis, "I can't do this any long-!"

"Then tough it out!" Erazen commanded, his fierce, authoritative face softening into one of sadness, "Kaen! Words cannot express how much it hurts for me to do that shit to you. You can't keep being diso-"

"Says the man content with leaving me in bed past roll call!" Kaenniar challenged defiantly, earning him a frustrated glance from his lieutenant, the younger of the two scoffing in disgust as he adjusted his pauldrons, readying himself to move out, "A Paleray like me shouldn't be surprised that-"

Erazen swiftly threw his hand up, grappling Kaenniar's collar and throwing his own weight backward, spinning Kaenniar past him and slamming his back into the back of the building beside them, closing the gap between them as Erazan's face took on a wildly upset expression. His lips curled angrily, sending Kaenniar's eyes wide in shock.

"Don't you ever use that word," Erazen commanded with a deepened voice, his grip tightening around his subordinate's collar, "Tell me you understand."

Still exhausted, and partially downtrodden, Kaenniar refused to budge, forcing Erazen to push him back into the wall for a massive bout of insistence, "Kaenniar. Tell me."

A moment passed before Kaenniar frowned, relinquishing his resistance at the uttering of his full name, "I understand."

"Good," Erazen confirmed as he pulled away, rubbing the wrinkles from underneath his subordinate's armor, "You don't need to be speaking those words. Just because Ithnis does, that doesn't mean you have to believe him, or feel as though he's truly describing you."

Kaenniar scoffed, "If not him, it would be-"

Erazen cut him off, grabbing his arm and pulling him in close, head drawn low as his eyes peered upward to meet Kaenniar's eyes, a predatory look about him as though he were about to strike again should his lover continue on with such nonsense, simply relieving Kaenniar of his troubles as he managed a quick peck upon his lips, still showing his most serious face as the two men watched each other, both unsurely.

"If your inability to retain magic leaves you so pale, how is it that you've become more magnificent to me than the sun itself?" Erazen asked rhetorically, not expecting a reply anyway after such a kiss out in the open, "Besides, I quite like the idea of you being addicted to me, rather than magic itself."

Kaenniar frowned at such words that played with his heart, his voice wandering low as his eyes shifted away in embarrassment, "Now you're the cute one…"

"I'm treading upon six hundred; I'll accept cute, unlike you," Erazen smirked, releasing his subordinate before backing off, turning to stare down the road for anybody who might have been sent back to check on Kaenniar, despite knowing Ithnis wouldn't have afforded such privilege to the man, "I'm serious now. Get a move on."

Kaenniar refused to budge, his shoulders slumping forward while his eyes locked onto the man with whom he often shared a bed with, "Another one."

"By the gods, Kaen," Erazen groaned, running an open hand over his face.

"I can't help it," Kaenniar shrugged, "I'm addicted to you."

Erazen frowned, his own words used against him as though they were now a lasso to constrict him, to bind him to this man. Such a thought wasn't without its heartfelt admirations, yet at such a moment, in such an open, yet wooden, setting… He bit his lip unflinchingly, turning for one last look up the road before stepping back into Kaenniar's space, leaning his head in close, just above his shoulder, allowing his lips to settle just above his lengthy ear, proof of his elfishness despite his pale nature.

"We can't be doing this," Erazen muttered, burying his face against Kaenniar's ear as he gently gave whatever skin his lips found a tender tug.

An instinctive twinge yanking Kaenniar's shoulder up as his head flinched into his lover's kiss, he grinned mischievously as though he'd knowingly spun this man into his trap without him knowing, "We could be. Every day."

A subtle bite quieted Kaenniar's thoughts as he chewed on his lip, Erazen pulling his head away so that their eyes could meet once again, "There was your kiss. Get a move on."

Kaenniar frowned as though hoping to win further affections from Erazen, yet this time, the superior of the two spun away, stepping forward with his usual rigorous gait, that of a life-long soldier, leaving the younger of the two sighing with rejection; that, and the sudden realization that he was in for a long day of drills at the command on Ithnis. Knowing no further adoration was in store, Kaenniar simply readied himself, shaking his head deftly before trudging off behind Erazen, watching his sturdy stance as he watched, wondering just how ingrained that soul of a soldier truly was.

Even if he could somehow lull this man away from this life, without his first love, would a life with some Paleray be a life worth living anyway?


	3. Tire

Erazen ran his fingers along Kaenniar's cloth-covered shoulder, a velvety trail of golden effervescence following at their tips and he tenderly caressed the welt beneath his shirt that had been left there as a result of the day's challenges. Having been run around the perimeter with a yoke over his shoulders, weighted by two full buckets of water, Kaenniar had collapsed just after finishing the chore, much to Ithnis' subdued delight. To be sure, the two men both knew Ithnis was enchanting the buckets from afar, weighing them down, bruising his soldier's skin as Kaenniar hadn't the magical prowess to stop the act by his own magic. Another reminder of his lack of worth among the elitist of the Sindorei.

Dark had fallen, and Erazen had helped his companion to his own home to tend to him, having already figured the wear and tear that had been left as a result. Unable to stand from his exhaustion, Erazen simply took him to bed, the superior of the two sitting up against the headboard as Kaenniar's lay along his side, with only his torso fallen over Erazen's lap, allowing the lieutenant to manipulate his healing magic however he pleased, under the single stipulation that the shirt remained on, lest Kaen's lover bear witness to the scabs and bruises with his own eyes.

The two of them had remained quiet most of the night, Erazen tending to his lover with a steady hand, uncertainty growing as he watched the dark fabric covering Kaenniar's shoulder. The glow at his hand fading, he took a gentle hold of his collar, though Kaenniar was quick to throw his hand up to prevent Erazen from pulling away his shirt, ashamed of the blemishes upon his skin.

"Don't…" Kaen trailed off with a whimper of a voice.

Erazen frowned, "I can't heal you too much, to avoid suspicion. I need to see where I have to stop."

Kaenniar's hand refused to budge, leaving Erazen with a weakened sigh, almost regrettably, "I'm a soldier, Kaen; I've seen worse. Why does this trouble you so?"

A silent pause followed, leaving Erazen to frown at the trembling taking place in his lap, presumably due to how troubled his lover was, though Kaenniar finally replied with downtrodden voice, "I don't… I don't want you to see me like that."

"Kaen," Erazen noted with a warmth that betrayed his serious tone, "I've watched you shake, violently, in my very arms after we've made love and I neglected to withhold my mana from diffusing into your skin. I thought your very heart would cease. I've seen you at your most helpless, and I've loved you all the more for trusting me that much. Some darkened skin won't keep me away, now; nothing could."

Slowly, Kaenniar's hand slid away, allowing Erazen's fingers to curl around the collar of his shirt, the superior's voice echoing lowly in regret, "Bruises won't kill you.  _I_  almost did that night; I'm not-"

"Now you hush," Kaenniar muttered quietly, "Don't you ever use that phrase."

Erazen smiled lightly, recognizing his lover's stealing his own words from earlier in the day, leaving Kaenniar to go on, "You couldn't hurt me."

"Perhaps not, but I could accidentally kill-"

"You  _could_  kill me, but it wouldn't hurt," Kaenniar interrupted, shaking as the unmistakable sound of chuckling passed through the air, "Holding too much magic might kill me, but it's no different from anybody else. It's like a drug for me as well; it's just the spectrum is far more magnified in me."

He whispered, "You might have killed me, but that sweet, encircling intoxication of your skin on mine… It wouldn't have hurt."

Erazen sighed, "Cute."

Kaenniar smirked as Erazen began to tug at his shirt, signaling his intention to remove it so that he could examine his shoulders. The younger of the two obeyed the insinuation, having worked up enough strength to push himself up, carefully reaching to the them of his shirt and gingerly pulling it up past his chest, an unsure tremble accompanying the motion, though Erazen was quick to reach a tender stroke of his finger atop his back to comfort him. His shirt came off, leaving Erazen with a scowl at his nasty the man's shoulders remained, despite his time having already healing him, even if he'd been careful not to overdo it for fear of healing the man altogether.

A quiet shudder ran across Kaenniar's body as Erazen returned his hand to his companion's neck, gently stroking it as though to get him familiar with the sensation, though it only seemed to lull Kaenniar to sleepiness, his head gradually teetering to the side as it attempted to meet the roaming, warm appendage. Erazen dug a thumb into Kaenniar's skin, forcing a reflexive jerking motion that left the younger one with a subtle throwing of his shoulder to wave away the rough action.

"I need you awake," Erazen explained, "I can only heal you so much, but I need you to tell me when it stops aching, at the very least."

Kaen grumbled with upset at being told not to do exactly what he wanted to do. Erazen's magic, his mana, continuously flowed through the man's veins, and while Kaenniar was unable to hold in magic that same way, his senses were still as honed as any other blood elf's when it came to those sensations. Erazen, especially, had such warm skin due to his mana, and now, with Kaen sitting just in front of the man he loved, resting back against his chest to give Erazen access to his shoulders; it was all Kaenniar could do between that warmth and the day's tire to remain awake instead of simply curling up in his lover's arms and fall asleep to the lullaby of warm skin and magically churning blood that audibly lead to the ear.

His eyes remained heavy as Erazen's hand began to glow once more, tenderly stroking that darkened skin as he spoke up, "Talk. It'll keep you awake."

"I don't want to," Kaen explained belligerently, "Let my shoulder ache. I won't feel it while I'm sleeping."

Erazen groaned, "And tomorrow when you're back to doing drills?"

Kaen shrugged, "I'll just think of you. That often makes me feel better."

Rolling his glowing eyes, Erszen frowned, "You know, you really can't keep complaining about me calling you cute."

"You can't do it now," Kaen muttered, his head falling low.

Erazen caught that he was referring to his shoulders, so broken and torn up by a litany of bruises and welts, and replied easily, "If you truly want to lose me calling you cute, the last thing you need is the unblemished skin of a four hundred year old Sindorei whose gone most his life boisterously and callously avoiding responsibility at every turn."

"I'm not a Sindorei," Kaenniar replied lowly, his suddenly upturning voice catching his lover off guard and late on the uptake, "Besides, that all was only 'cause I hadn't a thing to love and feel responsible toward. Before you, I-"

"What did you just say?"

Erazen's deepening tone forced a slightly concerned tremor over Kaenniar's heart, unable to reply as Erazen went on, wholly serious, "You aren't a Sindorei? I told you already, don't you ever  _think_ that you're-"

"I _am_ a Paleray," Kaenniar muttered, too lost in his speech to notice that the warmth at his shoulder was fading, "Derogatory or not, if it describes me, it defines me. 'n until I accept that, I'll continue being just I-"

Erazen immediately slid his rough arms around Kaenniar's sides, wrapping them around his lover with open palms to run his calloused palms atop the tenderly soft skin of the man before him, pulling Kaen's back into his chest as he might a backwards hug, dropping his face into the crick between his neck and shoulder. Kaenniar shivered at the coarse touch that sent the hairs atop his skin standing upright, dropping his gaze, so certain that he was unworthy of such a hold in his present state.

"What makes you a Paleray beyond your inability to carry mana within your veins? 'cause if that's the only stipulation," Erazen explained tenderly, "I've already told you. I'm your vessel. If ever you require such a thing, it's only a kiss away, a hug away. Even a loving touch atop your shoulder; however you require. My mana, my magic, is yours as much as it mine. We've shared our hearts, our bodies; what's mana compared to that?"

Silence beckoned forth despite their sudden closeness, leaving Erazen quite miffed by the quietness that followed his outpouring of tender speech. He gently caressed however little of Kaenniar's skin he could with his arms wrapped so tightly around his frame, leaving a kiss or two against that dreary skin that had rendered the poor man so self-concious. A wavery sigh from Kaenniar signaled his preparing to speak, though it also left his body atremble.

"I'm living a half-life," Kaen whispered in trembling regret, turmoil lining his voice, "Between forcing myself not to love you beyond closed doors and finding myself so in love and attached when we're hidden."

He shook his head, "You, yourself, living as a soldier on the one hand and betraying your mandate on the other."

Erazen frowned, the shape of his downturned lips leaving enough of an impressed upon his lover's skin that Kaen's heart fell simply without a word. The superior shut his eyes in thought, knowing his words would sting the man so close to his chest, to his mana-infused heart.

"You knew this going in, Kaen. That doesn't mean I love you any less," Erazen quietly explained, "We agreed-"

"I agreed to nothing!" Kaen suddenly cried out in anguish, his throat choking up from a rising upset, "When I fell for you, it wasn't because of any agreement! It wasn't because I needed anything from you! It was because my whole life I'd been made to feel like I was lesser than  _every_ body else! I was the street rat whose parents didn't want him; who only has a place to call home because of some ancient governance that no man should go without a duty to his Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas. I was the one spat on, kicked, thrown to the ground, my entire life; and out comes this strong, self-assured man who saw beyond that, who took my paleness and saw something that complimented his own life and not something  _ugly_  that needed to be expunged."

"My entire life, throughout my entire service, I had mages and priests over me, flooding my body with mana to the point of drowning me, an inch away from death for any attempt at correcting whatever was wrong; reorienting whatever it was within me that needed charging, and every time, nothing, not a thing, and they would just scoff and leave me there on the altar like I was some  _rotten_  piece of flesh in need of decay; but then  _you_  come along, and  _you_ accidentally did the same, and you cried, and you held me so tight, not because of my affliction, but because you cared about the man beneath that paleness, beneath that  _ugly_  stain upon the untarnished face of the Sindorei name. and ever since then, I can't help but love you, and adore you; I can't help that your very name makes my heart ache and my knees weak; I can't help that I want nothing more than to hear you say my name and want you so proudly at my side; I can't-!"

Erazen's hand slid around from Kaenniar's chest, flying up and forcibly taking hold of Kaen's forehead, bringing his head to the side, right into the waiting lips of Erazen, Kaen's eyes widening at the sight of his lover's tear-stained eyes, even his kiss tasting of the drops of sincerity. Erazen pulled his arm into Kaen's head, pulling him closer into the kiss, his own body shaking as he fought back further tears, simply losing himself within the touch of his beloved.

Kaenniar's eyes shut in turn, his own tears leaving them aflame, even more so as an outpouring of mana essence began to assault his lips, leaving the man shivering from the burning sensation welling up in his face, soon enough flooding his entire body with that druggish sensation that was such a staple of the Sindorei, feeling his very senses wane as he not only lost himself within Erazen's lips, but his lover very similarly losing himself within Kaenniar's body, his mana overflowing as though in hunting for a balance between the two bodies.

His body so greatly finding such a substance to be foreign, Kaenniar's mind began to whiten in a blank mass, his hand yanking itself up to clutch at Erazen's cheek, nearly beginning to claw at his skin as Kaenniar's very breath began to leave him, his faculties simultaneously beginning to close off as his body slowed to accommodate the unknown substance of magic within. Soon enough, recognizing from Kaenniar's own boyishly extensive lengths he was willing to go to in the name of such a pleasurable enterprise, Erazen pulled away with tearful eyes, watching Kaenniar's eyes open like slits, so darkened from the experience, leaving the older of the two to return his free arm slung back around Kaen's torso, leaning to the side as the two slowly fell away from the headboard and onto the bed.

Erazen's hold tightened as Kaenniar's hands unknowingly wavered in the air, struggling to find the skin of his lover to clutch upon, finally grappling onto Erazen's arm as he muttered quietly, his voice a hushed tone that signaled just how much of his mind had left him.

"L-Love…you" was all he could manage, his body so immensely spent from the whole-encompassing experience.

His eyes drawn to a close as well, Erazen brought his head down atop his lover's chest, emulating the younger man as he began to tenderly stroke it atop his bare chest, still apprehensive about such things that might leave his lover a shell. Sometimes he'd feel slightly peeved about being neglected of pleasure himself, but tonight…tonight was so very different. All Erazen hoped to do was love the man in his arms, to reassure him that his love and affections were so very real.

For a soldier so indebted to Silvermoon, Erazen felt in the darkest parts of his mind that he needed to remind, even himself, of such things.

* * *

Darkness still surrounded his vision when Kaen's eyes opened, knowing already upon awakening that his body's shaking had ceased, his organs having pumped through all of the nana as he slept, leaving him with the barely pouring tap of natural mana he'd been given at birth. Like with an oversaturation of alcohol, too much magical essence would leave his body in need of sleep, and considering the warmth beneath him, Erazen's body had only exacerbated that need. Kaen's mildly glowing eyes must have tipped his host off to his awakening, for in that moment, a tender finger stroked his hair, coming from Erazen, even his finger rolling off Kaen's hair leaving the unmistakable trail of mana diffusion.

"Morning. somewhat," Erazen spoke with a low, warm tone, "You're up early."

"So're you," Kaen reminded sleepily, turning his head so that his face could press into that lightly burning mass of skin that was so swirl with rough scars and edges, curling into softness.

Erazen chuckled for a quiet moment, "I'm not the one who needs my rest. You've had a long day."

The slur of tire fell into Kaen's speech, "So've you. You've had t'deal with me."

"That's the easiest thing," Erazen replied, his smile carrying with his voice, "Does your shoulders hurt?"

He felt Kaen's face turn in a nod, his nose pressing into his stomach, leaving Erazen to explain, "I just healed you enough to leave the marks. Can't have anybody asking questions, can we? Talk about suspicious; somebody with no magic healing himself. Legionnaire Mirthswitch would probably have a boar."

Quickly seizing his chuckling body to keep from disturbing his lover, Erazen simply remained entangling his fingers in Kaen's hair, running them down its length until they freed themselves down its silky frayed ends before starting over once again, trying to lull the man back to sleep.

"Storms rolled through a few hours ago," Erazen spoke up quietly, "They didn't wake you, did they?"

Kaen's head didn't move, though his voice broke through, his warm breath tickling Erazen's skin, "What if there'd been a tornado? or a surprise hurricane? You'd still want me asleep."

Sensing his disapproval, Erazen grinned, "You underestimate just how much I would do to keep you in comfort. I'd carry your exhausted ass to safety without you knowing a think to trouble you."

"The fact that you'd do too much, implying that  _I_  can't do enough, is troublesome enough…" Kaen complained, his head immediately ashuffle as Erazen's body shook with silent laughter.

"I've as much loyalty in my veins as I do magic," Erazen explained simply, leaving Kaen with a frown at his lack of refutation.

The two quieted down as Erazen continued lulling his lover to sleep, taking the opportunity to sacrifice his sleep for Kaen in substitute for so much else he was unable to sacrifice for him. His hand continued its worship of Kaen's soft hair, his fingers now curling to take a gentle handful of the silky tendrils, pulling along slowly, knowing that such things brought that comforting tingle atop Kaen's scalp that he loved so much.

Quietly, Kaen's voice emerged once again, "What's it like..?"

"Hmm?"

"Having magic," Kaen wondered quietly.

Erazen thought for a moment, taking a deep breath as he stared into the distance, "Well, uh, let's see… I mean, it's different depending on- Okay, I'm more in tune with the arcane, right? Like how people have different eye colors, everybody who's predetermined at birth to be magic users are also predicated for certain types of magic. I know mages that deal with pyromancy, they take their power from the Sunwell, mostly, which is also why Eversong is bathed in eternal springtime. The tauren druids derive their magic from the elements around them. Arcane users, like me, we derive our powers from within; we've been predilected for the arcane because our bodies are bathed in that magic energy, naturally, which is why I'm so warm and why I glow at times- I'm just naturally a geyser of mana, really."

"That's why I took up Dalaran Marbles from a young age, actually," Erazen chuckled, eyeing the banner Kaen had noted the morning before, "All that energy running rampant, my parents wanted me to learn to control it when I had it in droves, and how to allow it to slow burn when I had too much and needed to release some of it. You've seen me sitting cross-legged, completely still, with my eyes shut, right? That's me emptying some mana into the ether when it gets too overwhelming; it took me long enough to figure you could do that- so many Sindorei elders would rather us become mindless shells that can be commanded than waste a drop of that mana. They lost it once, and being so addicted, they'd rather us not waste that essence."

Kaen frowned, "That's a shame. Y'know, I could always take that extra mana from you. I've plenty of space for it."

A chuckle came from Erazen as his head fell back against the headboard, his eyes shining their light toward the ceiling, "I've often thought of how perfect a couple we seem to be in that respect."

Erazen felt Kaen's head nuzzle up closer to his stomach, digging into his skin with a contented swath of movement, sleepiness now lining his tone after being quieted by his lover's voice, "How does Dalaran Marbles work?"

The superior grinned mischievously, his intentions having worked quite better than anticipated, continuing to stroke the man's head beneath him to work him back to that sleeping realm where Kaen could freely wander along with the man he loved at his side. To be sure, such an avenue allowed Erazen the chance to watch his sleeping face as well, offering him his own path toward contentedness in unison with Kaen's own.

"Well," Erazen spoke up quietly, his body rumbling with his deep voice, "It derived from the human mages from some ridiculous version that's essentially luck. If you add magic to the game, it becomes a game of mastery, particularly how it's constructed. Essentially, you've a round, table-top arena and you launch marbles from your thumb, trying to launch your opponent's from the ring, with the victor being the one with the most in-bound marbles at the end. Of course, the Dalaran version includes magic, so you alter marble's paths, countering your opponent's casts while improving your own- some games even have mage referees who keep tabs on how much magic is being expelled, in the event there should be a cap on magical influence."

"That's why  _I_  took it up; you get enough good referees, you're forced to control your mana output to an extreme amount. For somebody such as me, with a sweltering amount of mana, you have to learn to-"

The feeling of Kaen's head rolling further down his body, as though sleep had taken him and kept him from holding his posture, forced a pause from Erazen as he smiled, brushing the lengthy, blonde hair from Kaen's ear, leaning his torso forward just enough to leave a kiss there upon his favorite part of his lover's body, his blinking eyes slowing in contentedness as his body began to feel as though it were melting with such a steady diffusion leaving his body to enter Kaen's, not enough to disturb him, but enough to keep the younger man surely warm and fuzzy as he slept. For Erazen, such a steady drain left him seeking out sleep for himself, reaching over to yank the nearby thickly woolen blanket overtop the two of them, keeping their warmth contained, ever circulating beneath the sheet with their love for one another.

"Maybe I just had to learn to find somebody to share all that mana with," Erazen concluded sincerely, sleepiness forcing a yawn to cut off the rest of his thought before he leaned gently to the side, allowing himself to curl up however he could, allowing sleep to overtake him as well.


	4. Departure

Kaenniar pulled his sword up, examining his grip upon the metallic handle of its ornate hilt, carefully resting the blade atop his other arm as he took different grips upon the weapon, as though unsure which style best suited him. The thought hardly ever occurred to him, partially because he was either off on some whimsical adventure to collect goldenbark apples or drawing different things of Eversong's fauna that interested him, and even when he wasn't partaking in such things, many of his training sessions with the rest of the unit were all to often him being berated by his Commander, Ithnis, who quite readily chose Kaenniar for the menial tasks, those fit for Palerays, the begrudging blood elf knew too well by now.

Today, Ithnis gave little attention to Kaenniar, allowing him to go about his practice today with little hindrance, save for the wary glances of the others in his unit as though his lack of mana would somehow rub off upon them, though they were cordial enough when Kaenniar had a question or was in danger of some safety issue that hadn't ever been communicated to him. As much as it annoyed Ithnis, so long as it was within his mandate, particularly having already sent so many of his soldiers off to other units, he was more or less stuck with the Paleray, and so long as Kaenniar was in the unit, his comrades were expected to care for him as an equal, regardless of their reservations.

With quick eyes, Kaenniar stared at the training dummy before him, taking a sharp breath before waving his arm out in front of him, striking the dummy for but a brief moment before the recoil flung the sword out of his hand, his unorthodox grip betraying him, sending the sword into the ground a few feet away. Kaenniar watched with wide eyes before tossing his attention toward his comrades, the lot of them uninterested, save for a handful that looked on with concern. Whether it was for Kaenniar's single faux pas, or Kaenniar himself, he wasn't sure. Still, he grabbed for the sword once again, holding it as one normally would now before striking the dummy, trying his best to adhere to some memory he might have had about such things.

Swinging his sword over his shoulder, preparing to swing a massive blow toward the dummy, he threw his arms forward, but they remained, merely yanking upon an immovable object as his neck whipped around, finding his sword enchanted, floating in the air with a cloud of mana surrounding it, preventing it from moving. Kaenniar gave a quick, skeptical glare toward the rest of the unit, though a shrill whistle stole his attention, his eyes spinning toward one of his superiors, Vadana, one of the more senior of the female Sindorei in Eversong, her hand quickly reaching up to slide her plated helmet from her head, revealing her piercingly critical stare.

"Evenforge!" she yelled, "You'll tear a muscle in your shoulder doing that! What do you think you're doing?"

Kaenniar's body suddenly bent low as the sword in his hand dropped, his reflexes instinctively falling low to catch the unexpected weight, before clearing his throat unsurely, answering, "I, uh- I was practicing my swordplay, Centurion."

"I can see that, grunt, but how little use do you think you are if you're  _not_ on my front lines?" Vadana asked critically, turning to examine the dummy beside her for any tells from Kaenniar's technique, "You have no magic, grunt, but my job is to find something that you, or anybody, is actually good at. Without mana, your  _only_ skill useful to me is your use of the sword, and after that, you're merely a body on the line more fit to be killed than the man behind you, and you can't even do  _that_  if you're in the infirmary. I  _suggest_  you practice more, grunt."

Kaenniar watched her with his brow hung low, helplessly, before she reached toward her sheath, yanking her sword from within and swinging it before her, catching her grunt in surprise.

"Strike me," she spoke in ultimatum, sliding her helm back over her head, "Do it before I find out just how much more suited you are being nothing more than a shield of a body for the others."

His eyes widening, Kaenniar pulled his sword in front of him just as Vadana swung her blade over her head, the grunt just barely catching her weapon as a cold sweat suddenly poured over him. He just barely caught the laugh from Ithnis, the Commander jovially waving the rest of the unit over to watch, sauntering over lazily as if pleased to watch the Paleray being put down once again.

"C'mon, boys!" he shouted happily, "How pale d'ya think he'll be when he's dead, eh?!"

Kaenniar had no time to listen further as he continued backward, quickly floundering beneath Vadana's swift and powerful blows. She hadn't needed to put much of anything behind her strikes; she was simply placing them strategically, hitting Kaenniar's blade at just the right points that either numbed his arm for a moment or broke the balance from the grunt's hand, nearly knowing the blade from Kaenniar's grasp.

His teeth grit, his eyes wide in panic as she landed repeated blows atop him, giving him nothing, not a second, to counter with anything, her attention fully on keeping his sword help upward until, finally, a heavy boot slammed into Kaenniar's stomach, sending him collapsing backward onto the ground, the metallic clang of his sword hitting the ground echoing for but a moment as his eyes peered up in terror as Vadana stood over him, nothing more than two dark slits of eyelight poking out from her shadowy helm. She brought her sword just above Kaenniar's face, almost as if in indecision whether or not to rid herself, and the unit behind them, of this being, yet she slowly retreated her sword, returning it to her sheath.

"If your commanding officers think so little of your existence, how do you expect to gain anything in the way of respect for your  _enemies_?" Vadana questioned with a scathing voice, turning away, not bothering to help the man up, "A blight upon the Sindorei name. I suggest you change that before that remains your fate."

Vadana turned to leave. Kaenniar held onto his driven-into stomach, nausea swelling up within him as tears emerged at his eyes, forcing himself to sit up. He sent a hand outward, sliding it around the ground as the tears in his eyes kept him from finding his sword, desperate to return to his feet and end this embarrassing show he was putting on. He fought his urge to sniffle, knowing such a thing would call even further attention onto his tears, but as the horror of vomiting welled up, he instinctively did so as tears rolled down his face, shame roiling within his very soul.

"Tch," Ithnis sounded in disgust, "If he wasn't already a waste a time, I'd- Duskspark, when we the last time  _you_  wept like a child?"

A voice emerged from the unit, " _Never_  under your command, sir."

Ithnis chuckled, "If I hadn't such an intense love for Silvermoon and all her adherents- I expect nothing less than the most able and a strong of any Sindorei, be it man or woman, among my ranks. Out of the goodness of my heart, I take in this- this  _Paleray_ , this urchin, and this is how he honors my command…"

He scoffed before waving his unit away, grumbling, "Flarehope, lead us in our daily strength exercises. We needn't wait for  _that_  one."

Unable to find his sword, Kaenniar merely covered his face with his free hand, pulling his knees of to his chest in an effort to quell the nausea swirling around within him as though the kick had rupture something inside of him, forcing him to recall those long nights of drowning in mana because of his hinderances. His thumb and finger crawled along his closed eyes to wipe away his tears, his crumbled brow following his eyes as he longingly stared up toward the marble academy, along one of the exterior walkways where Erazen would often stroll to examine the units in training, Kaenniar praying if, for but a single moment, he could catch a glimpse of that man. Anything that could help him press on for the rest of this day, ignoring the fact that this day was not his last. This day was but one out of an endless number of them.

"Pfft, Paleray!" Ithnis suddenly cried out with humor, "You long to be among those in the academy? Ha! You aren't fit to lick the floors after they've stepped upon them! Mirthswitch, Sombercrown, that T-True- Erazen. None of them would look upon a miscreant such as you with anything more than disgust."

The Commander cackled, Kaenniar's brow sharpening angrily as he watched Ithnis wave his hand in the air as though it were nothing, "Do them a favor and wait until they've gone for the day before you partake in any janitorial work we've had selected for the handmaids."

Kaenniar bit his teeth, clutching his jaw tight as his mind gradually left him a steaming heap of fury. He quickly spun his head to the side and took the strewn sword into his hand and pushed his way up to his feet, holding his arm out in a deliberate stance as he strode with a furious zeal toward his Commander, an anger rushing over him so vitriolic that it pained his very face as it turned so heated.

* * *

Erazen meandered behind his General, Du'danas Mirthswitch, with a studious gait, still worried about Kaenniar's reintroduction with the unit. He'd ordered Ithnis not to have him run laps and, instead, make sure he was doing something that might do justice to Silvermoon's name, even if Ithnis had little faith such a thing was possible. Still, Erazen left the Commander with his instruction as Mirthswitch's lieutenant aide, which seemed to be enough to persuade Ithnis, even if Erazen had no idea what the man might do with Kaenniar once he'd left his sight.

The discussions between Erazen and Mirthswitch were made into mumbles as Erazen remained preoccupied, his General eventually coming to notice the phenomenon, finally stopping in his tracks and turning toward Erazen, who jumped in place from the shock of being stared at by such a figure as this. He readied himself with a swift clearing of his throat, earning a knowing grin from Mirthswitch.

"Something on your mind, lieutenant?"

Erazen assured him, "No, my lord. I'm just taking in my new role in strides is all."

Chuckling mutely, Mirthswitch nodded slowly, "I see. Lieutenant- or Stone Guard, I suppose, if we're using Horde terms; it's a role that denotes great responsibility. You're no mere enlisted member of the Sindorei, or the Horde; you're an  _officer_ , and that comes with a great deal of renown, prestige- respect."

"I understand," Erazen confirmed with a strong voice, "Ever since I was a child, it was all my parents wanted me to do was bring honor to the name Trueguard. That you would have me in such a position- It means so much that this amount of trust has been placed upon me."

Mirthswitch smiled, assuring his lieutenant mightily as he threw his arm up, patting Erazen upon his shoulder with a massive strength, "You've earned it, my friend."

Such familiarity coming from Du'danas Mirthswitch was a signal to Erazen that he had, indeed, made it. The General was younger than both he and Ithnis, yet had risen up the ranks thanks to his patterns of repulsion toward defeat, his doggish pursuits of obedience from his peers, and his magnanimous zeal and respect for all that was known to be of the Sindorei. Of course, he also knew how to be familial and well-liked outside of combat, though behind that cool exterior, Erazen knew well enough, hid a rather venomous spirit, ready to strike at anybody who might even be thinking ill of him or Silvermoon City herself.

Erazen knew well enough upon Mirthswitch's arrival. He had shown up to take up the post of Eversong's General, a post Ithnis had envisioned for himself, and as the old Commander was rather stubborn in his age, he'd shown little respect to the young General, leading to a set of scars that not rest at Ithnis' side, such sword swipes earning Mirthswitch the respect, not only of Ithnis, but of everybody who'd come to know the tale.

Because of this, Erazen was only made more stressful, knowing Mirthswitch had already brought up his absentmindedness, and not wanting the General to take it the wrong way. Thankfully, Mirthswitch turned with a nod and a smile, continuing down the hallway as Erazen dutifully followed, taking stock of all his General had on his mind, being more like an attendant as a lieutenant himself, quick to return to his bit of parchment paper.

"The West Sanctum's manawraiths have been acting up," Mirthswitch reported listlessly, "The Ley-Keeper there requested some aid. I want a small squadron on their way there by the morning until we truly grasp the situation."

"Understoond," Erazen noted quietly.

Mirthswitch nodded, "Nothing against the Keeper, but people  _do_  tend to exaggerate. I'm sure it's just a minor thing; no need to send an army to kill a few manawraiths, correct?"

A reply failed to come, leaving Mirthswitch rather perturbed, turning back around toward his lieutenant, "Trueguard, you-"

His eyes narrowed curiously as Erazen stared off into the distance, the two of them having exited onto an exterior portion of the pathway overlooking the training grounds. Mirthswitch followed Erazen's eyes, catching a young grunt striding quickly toward Commander Greatsun, swinging a sword at him just as the old man spun around, catching the swipe with a sword of his own.

* * *

Kaenniar's eyes flew open at his aged Commander's lightning fast reflexes, Ithnis growling with a primal rage as he pushed the grunt's sword away, bringing his sword down toward Kaenniar with a vicious swing, the grunt just able to catch each successive strike as Ithnis furiously swung and swung.

"You  _rotten_  little WORM!" Ithnis cried out defiantly, wailing on Kaenniar as the younger of the two warily backpeddled in a furious gait, trying desperately to avoid tripping while also catching each successive blow, "I will  _FERTILIZE_  these grounds with your BLOOD, Paleray!"

A tremor of fright rushing through Kaenniar's body, he mistepped just as Ithnis crashed his massive sword into Kaenniar's, shattering the grunt's sword as he fell back onto the ground, his eyes wide in terror as he skittered backward, pulling himself backward in a desperate attempt to get away, though Ithnis stomped ever quicker, a bloodlust setting in his crimson face, his glowing eyes peering red as he readied his blade to finish off the troublesome little Paleray.

"May the gods allow me to cleanse this stain upon the Sindorei," Ithnis prayed aloud, wiping his wrist along his brow to brush off his sweat before raising his sword, crying out angrily, "GWAH!"

His sword flew down toward Kaenniar, his eyes widening in sheer terror as he raised his arms in front of his head, his only defense, until he felt the very air around him simply disappear, as though he'd entered a vacuum where he lay, the atmosphere becoming vacant for but a brief moment before a burst of ether flew from in front of Kaenniar, blasting into Ithnis, whose eyes flew open in terror as his body left the ground, shooting backward into the air, clear across to the opposing training ground where it rolled to a stop, a massive snarl leaving him as he clutched at the earth beneath him to force himself back to his feet, teeth clenched as a result of his suddenly unquenched bloodlust.

Kaenniar's eyes remained wide as he stared at his hands, unsure about what exactly had happened before turning to the rest of his unit, the collection of blood elf bodies backing away in terror themselves, having not seen such a thing, ever, from the man who lay there in helpless resignation. Catching the look of sheer ferocity upon Ithnis' face, even from where he lay, Kaenniar quickly pushed himself to his feet, striding quickly toward the walkway through the academy that led him out of the training grounds, pushing his comrades out of the way as he quickened his gait, desperate to leave before hearing another thing from his officer.

* * *

Erazen's hand remained atop the railing of the open-air pathway, clutching the metallic material with enough force that his wrist contorted, his face stuck in a furor at the sight of Ithnis about to murder his own grunt. He brought his hand up, massaging it with his other hand, his life-saving burst of energy having left his tendons numb, just catching Kaenniar dashing for the exit as he peered back up toward the grounds, immediately turning and rushing to meet the man at the exit before he could leave. Erazen waved his hand in the air, using his other hand to round the stairway, breathing heavily at the scene that had just transpired, shaking his head distastefully.

As he turned the corner, he caught the backside of Kaenniar as the younger man stomped out, now with Erazen in pursuit as he shouted out, "Evenforge!"

Kaenniar continued.

"Evenforge!" Erazen cried out again, " _Even_ -! Kaen!"

At that, Kaenniar began to slow, turning his head over his shoulder, revealing his tear-stained face, his body atremble from the emotions that had just rushed through him in a matter of moments. He continued walking, leaving Erazen to break into a sprint before approaching Kaenniar from behind, grabbing his arm and yanking at him, spinning the young man around as Erazen locked eyes with him, panting in exhaustion.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?!" he questioned, earning him a furious glance from Kaenniar.

The younger man replied with a shout, "Away from here! 'n I'm never returning to this place!"

He yanked his arm away from Erazen's grasp, continuing to stomp away as Erazen followed, questioning him as they went along, "Kaen! Where are you going to go? You can't last a  _week_  without a mana infusion; you're going to die out there if you haven't a plan!"

"Then come with me," Kaenniar suddenly insisted, pausing his stride and half-turning back around, a pithy glance from Erazen answering him, "We'll both- We'll just go and, I don't know; anywhere is better than this fucking place! Nobody wants me here, not even  _you_!"

"Kaen, I-"

"I'm not worth the bit of mud of your pauldrons!" Kaenniar insisted with a wary tone, again on the verge of tears, "I'm not going to allow myself this daily torture any longer, Eraz- I… I'm done. I'm just… I'm done. I'd rather die out there living nary a semblance of a life I can enjoy than die here where I'm living in misery, half a step of death anyway, with  _nobody_  standing at my side!"

Erazen shut his eyes, covering his face with a hand as he fought with himself, wrestling with what to say as Kaenniar suddenly continued, stepping closer toward him, "What must I do to convince you to come with me?"

"Kaen," Erazen spoke up defeatedly, "You know I can't-"

"Tell me!" Kaenniar insisted, desperately, as though his very next breath depended on him answering, tears gushing from his eyes, "What must I do to prove that a life with me is worth more than a life here?"

Erazen gave him a lowly stare, his lips turning inward with disarming knowingness, "Beat me at Dalaran Marbles."

With his stare growing more determined, Kaenniar slowly nodded, biting his lip as he replied, "Okay."

"Okay?" Erazen asked with confusion, "Kaen, you can't even-"

"I don't care," Kaenniar interrupted, grabbing ahold of Erazen's collar, "If I have to kill or die, I'll figure out how to do it. I'll find someone,  _anyone_ , that can turn this body- a body not even  _I_  want- into something you can be proud of. Something that isn't just there to be discarded as soon as the sun rises into the sky."

Erazen's eyes constricted with frustration at how wrong Kaenniar was, but what could he say? He regretfully stared back into Kaenniar's eyes at the younger man pulled at his collar, yanking him into a kiss, one that Kaenniar brought along the whole of Erazen's pair, sucking gently at that tender skin as his lover's mana tingled at his own sensitive pair. With a gasp of breath after pulling away, Kaenniar stared with wary eyes toward Erazen's stoic pair, taking a finger to swipe along his lips to gather the remaining saliva there, sucking gently on his finger before nodding.

"That should last me a second week," Kaenniar noted, "I'm not coming back until I can beat you. I don't care how many months pass. I don't care how much it'll hurt to be without you, but- If you so greatly need a reason to stay with me, night and day, as the seasons change- I'll die for that reason."

He reached up for another quick peck upon Erazen's unreciprocating lips before backing away, sauntering off as he released in a heart-felt voice, "I love you. Endlessly. My very soul with ache without you, I adore you so."

Erazen couldn't reply. He simply watched Kaenniar spin around, rushing off into the distance to leave Erazen guilt-ridden, having done so little to ease his lover's mind. It hadn't the privilege to tell that man he loved him, he knew; not after forcing him off on some adventure with no conclusion in sight. He lowered his head, tightening his lips as he thought of that kiss, slowly bringing his tongue across his lips as though tasting his lover one last time before bringing in his lips regretfully, fighting back his own tears as he thought about their night before. How that might have been their last night together. How much more he would have said had he known today would go the way it had gone.

"Trueguard…" came Mirthswitch's voice in an attention-grabbing tone, forcing Erazen to jolt back to reality, not entirely sure if he should turn and acknowledge his general.

Mirthswitch asked, "Have we a deserter?"

Such a question, Erazen thought with relief- he hadn't caught the two of them in a kiss. Slowly, having kept his tears in check, Erazen spun around, his heart constricting as he thought of his next words; words that had his body caught in a vice as he spoke them.

"Yes, my lord…" he managed, quietly, "A deserter."

Mirthswitch nodded, turning back where he'd come from, "Understood."

With a deliberate turn of his head, Erazen took another glance down the road leading away from the academy, Kaenniar having left his sight, leaving the man alone in more than one single form.

Quietly, hoping, perhaps, his words and some bit of mana would travel through the wind, to accompany his lover into what surely was an unending journey, Erazen muttered, "…I love you."


	5. Forsaken

Kaenniar poked his head out from beneath his makeshift shelter, peering up toward the torrential downpour that let loose from the heavens above, nearly flooding the countryside, leaving Kaenniar momentarily pleased that he'd had the foresight to construct his tiny hovel of scrapwood and ghostly leaves atop a mound, leaving the ground beneath him untouched by the endless moisture. His breath left him in a steaming cloud as he returned to his shelter, bringing his arms across his chest, attempting to rub some warmth into his skin , thinking how nice a home and blankets were.

Having been an outcast most of his life, Kaenniar had learned a great deal about survivalism from his bouts of escaping to the southern end of Eversong to get away from it all, though those Woods were perpetually in springtime, leaving Kaenniar slightly puzzled by how to deal with legitimate weather. He had also been prudent enough to return home for a few things, packing up a knapsack before finally exiting those Woods, which was now to his benefit, slipping a hand inside to pull out a woolen scarf that he brought around his neck, now confident enough that his shelter wouldn't give way.

He guessed that he was somewhere south of Tranquillien, having avoided any settlement for fear that he might have raised an alarm with his departure, though now, thinking about it, he figured it was probably to everybody's benefit that he'd left. They had little reason to hunt him down, considering what ailed him, what cursed him to the core. Still, it troubled him, not wanting to venture any further down that path that might lead him astray from returning to the man he so dearly loved.

Even now, in the frigid cold of night, beneath the endlessly falling rain showers, conditions he had very rarely experienced, that snarling chill only made him miss his lover's warmth all the more, keeping his mind unable to think of what was to come. He'd always been the one in need, and Erazen had always been the one in need of offering his mana, lest his body be torn asunder and Kaenniar's heart be torn apart. Thinking of his warmth, he realized he had always been the one beckoned ever deeper into sleep, unable to ever catch Erazen sleeping himself. This experience, he knew, was a twist; Kaenniar was now the one fighting for his love, instead of Erazen fighting everything that kept the two apart.

His brow slanted in concern, Kaenniar slid a map from his pack, unrolling the parchment and narrowing his eyes, allowing their light to expose the inked script beneath. He examined Quel'Thalas, wondering what lay to the south, knowing only very little of the lands that lay beyond the mountains of his people's betrayer, Dar'Khan Drathir, still holed up within the mountainside in the cragged encampment of Deatholme. Even with the forests of Tirisfal nearby, so close to Silvermoon, the Sindorei were far too haughty to acknowledge much of that outside world, leaving Kaenniar's knowledge of those Hordish lands to be rather incomplete.

Still, he knew all too well, his best chance at learning what he needed to lay within the Undercity, the Horde's underground necropolis. He had hoped to find some semblance of direction within his military map, though found it to be woefully incomplete, frowning as he rolled it back up, shaking his head before peering off into the distance, a lonely expression upon his face.

"Fuck…" he muttered quietly, melancholy lining his voice as he thought of his home; not of his barracks, but of his place in Erazen's arms.

He thought about simply returning. Facing the lash, the rack, whatever punishment that might be thrust upon him. But by now, he had an ideal supplanted upon his mind, and he knew himself to be incapable of stripping himself from that thought of stealing his lover away and the two being together for the rest of their centuries.

Kaenniar knew he wasn't about to turn his back on this mission. Even as he peered out into the wilderness, so infinitely vast and unending, his eyes managed to catch sight of the mountains to the south, and such a thing gave him enough hope. Even if he knew, with his mana, he was on a time limit.

Would he threaten that life with Erazen even if it meant he might become a husk of a man? left upon some forest trail, dead from his insides curling into mana-death? He knew he hadn't a choice.

* * *

Erazen stared at his training unit for a few moments before realizing he hadn't been blinking, taking care to do so as he struggled to present himself as a man with nothing wrong, despite knowing the torrential wreck that was his heart. He turned his head back and forth in feigned observation, catching Ithnis making his rounds, breaking in the different soldiers of Eversong with his usual rough touch, allowing Erazen the chance to leave his present setting, wondering where Kaenniar had gone off to. He bit his lip with worry, his mind awash with various worrisome scenarios.

He cleared his throat, expunging some of his internal mana into the air as he did so, frowning slightly as he recovered. It seemed like such a waste now. He'd been expelling his mana from his youth, simply as a manner of keeping himself alive, but now, it felt like such a waste not having somebody with which that impending rise of magic essence gave life to. It seemed like such a waste now; that expulsion of mana now ceased to offer him the warmth of another man, nor did it offer him the contented breaths or gently sleeping face of Kaenniar; features of the morning he'd grown to rely on, much like the Eversong grasses relied upon the dew of morning's breath.

Struggling to maintain his composure, Erazen couldn't help but take in a rather lengthy sigh, bowing his head in thought once he was certain nobody was keeping their eyes upon him, his eyes shut in thought, attempting to summon that feeling Kaenniar had left him with in some futile attempt at recreating his lover's kiss as if, somehow, such a thing would bring him back if only for a split second. That much time, Erazen prayed, would be enough, though he was struggling with the realization that no such though would truly sate him. His body would never cease to produce so much mana, just as Kaenniar's wouldn't ever suddenly sputter into an existence of normality.

He tucked in his lips, the softness of his own lips against one another emulating nothing of the tenderness of Kaenniar's pair, further leaving Erazen with an ever-deepening dispassion with which his entire personage had left him-

"Trueguard!" came a voice from behind him, forcing Erazen's senses wide open as he whipped around, catching the body of Mirthswitch approaching him from behind.

"S-Sorry, sir! I was just- I- I apologize, my liege…" Erazen managed, his mind still disjointed by the sudden imposition.

Mirthswitch shrugged, his lips pursing curiously as his brow fell in kind, "Mind off once again? Pardon my accusation, but it was understood by both me and Centurion Vadana that you were sharp as a tack and so focused that not a single arrow could cross your vision. Both our admissions for your promotion were heavily influenced by such things."

"I understand," Erazen answered weakly, "I've just had a lot on my mind. Nothing that will keep me from my duties, I assure you."

Skeptically, Mirthswitch dropped his eyes, "Unlike those notes last week when you were caught up in that grunt's dispute with Commander Greatsun?"

Erazen felt a shiver down his spine.

"Look, Trueguard, I've been meaning to have this discussion with you all week, but-" Mirthswitch paused as if weighing his following words, "What did you see in that creature that it allowed you to so jeopardize such a prestigious position for you?"

Erazen's eyes suddenly turned, sharply, toward Mirthswtich, "…pardon?"

Mirthswitch returned to him a critical glance of his own, "Even now, I can sense that man upon you. I have an administrative responsibility not to disclose that fact to the others, but take it from a former Magister- I know you and that grunt were doing much more than training with one another."

His frustration at that term, creature, now quickly dissolving into fright, Erazen could do little more than stare at his superior as the man shook his head, "It can't be solely because you feel sorry for the man. You could lay with any woman who hasn't so much as an increment of mana and do more for your people. At least  _then_ , you've the opportunity to produce a child that might be worthwhile to our causes."

"What are you attempting to accomplish with this discussion?" Erazen finally questioned, anger welling up within him.

Mirthswitch shrugged, "Look, Trueguard, I haven't an issue with whom and man lay with. I'm simply saying- This is why I waited a week. There's no doubt that man is dead, wherever he is. I caught that stench of inadequate mana upon him even from up within the magisterium; he hadn't a few days to live. Grieve if you must, but-"

With a tarrying cadence, Mirthswitch threw out a hand as though in presentation, "Don't let that man's demise cloud your judgement. I'd hate to see such a promising, up-and-comer like you be dragged into the bog like a swine by somebody so unworthy of any semblance of respect. Great people have been stricken with love and became reviled by history for it, but- At least they had loves which we can understand their downfall."

"You've worked too hard, my lieutenant," Mirthswitch acknowledged, "Don't waste such an effort."

As though wholly unaware of Erazen's increasingly fearsome expression, Mirthswitch nodded before patting the man's shoulder, turning to walk away as Erazen followed him with his eyes, biting his tongue, quite literally, lest he speak words he knew he would regret far too soon. Erazen lowered his gaze, his eyes falling closed once again, shamefully thinking of his lack of bite when it came to Kaenniar. How weak he was, how subservient he became beneath the gaze of an authority such as Mirthswitch, allowing the man to say whatever about the man he so dearly loved.

He knew Kaenniar was still alive. That man was childish and completely inept when it came to much of anything that required a massive amount of responsibility, but that man was resourceful, and unhindered by the rigid structures of power that held him back, here in Eversong, Erazen knew he would rise to the occasion, even if in his own way. But a week? By the gods…

Erazen reached up to lay a finger upon his lips, thinking of that week or two his lover had stolen from him before leaving, hoping that such a kiss had given that man just enough life to get to safety. Not even to return to Erazen's arms, but just-

…just to be safe. It was all Erazen wanted for Kaenniar.

* * *

Kaenniar stumbled desperately, his feet unable to remain stable as they shook with every exhaustive step, his arms held out in front of him for balance in a horrendous attempt at keeping upright, his foot falling onto a jagged bit of stone and sending his body falling forward into the earth, now crawling as desperate, dry gasps left his throat. His head rose just enough to catch sight of the river that had first caught him in a desperate chase down the remainder of the cliffside, his awe at seeing the Horde lands wholly eclipsed by the sight of its life-giving waters.

With a last desperate gasp, he made it to the riverbank, sliding forward and nearly dunking his whole body into the waters, though it was plenty enough for him to send his face within the river, drinking as heartily as he'd done before, gulping it down with little regard for what might have been traveling within it prior.

Despite his quenched thirst, his body remained tight and constricted, exhaustion taking hold of him as he weakly retreated from the water, unable to stand as his insides churned with little to burn for their operation. Kaenniar desperately peered out into the dark wilderness before him, unable to catch anything that might aid him, his mana-barren body slowly beginning to choke his blood, his throat even beginning to fail, rendering whatever cries he might have utterly meaningless. Tears escaped him as his chest emptied, as though he were miles under water, unable to take a breath as he dug his nails into the soil, pulling himself along in desperation, whimpering painfully as his mind was so deadest on survival that he was deprived of any thought of Erazen.

"Gg-! Hhhg-!" he desperately managed, trying anything to call for help, even as his arms began losing strength, his Sindorei body, evolved over so many millennia to work alongside mana, deprived of the very essence that was meant to-

Shock now flooded over Kaenniar as his fleeting sense of touch suddenly blew open as a hand took his side, throwing him over onto his back, frightfully underneath the waiting arms of some strange fauna that he couldn't be aware of. His vision so impaired, Kaenniar simply wept as he felt the animal's paws atop his chest, so ashamed that he was to be murdered by a creature he wasn't even sure of its existence.

Suddenly, his mouth was covered with a solid, freezing material, Kaenniar only aware that his mouth was being filled with some liquid, his vision so blurred as he stared up into the sky, clouded by tears and his own mana-stripped eyes, unable to make out even his own lit eyes. Confused and frightened, and unable to do much else, Kaenniar simply lay there as his body seemed to readily accept whatever had been brought to his lips, curiosity slowly arising in his mind.

Ever so slowly, his body began to relax its death-grip around him, beginning with his stomach, Kaenniar suddenly coughing up the unending liquid as his body instinctively flinched upward, turning to the side as his hand gripped the cool earth beneath him, gagging on the thick substance inside him as his stomach rejected the viscous liquid after being shut down for a few moments. Nevertheless, Kaenniar's body slowly began to return the liveliness, his vision ever so slowly coming back to him, his sense of hearing following suit as well, catching the gravelly voice of the person behind him.

"…at's it, naow. Git it awl up naow."

Kaenniar breathed in heaving breaths, shaking his head in disbelief, shutting his eyes in deepening reverence toward life itself, "Gah- Gah-"

A chuckle came from behind him, "Naow ain't dat deh' breath 'a life comin' back t'yous! Yer gon' be a'right, I 'magine."

Kaenniar threw a hand up to try and grab the man in some show of thanks, his speech still failing him, but the man spoke up, "Geh, ya lookin' fer'a propa' handshake n'- A'right, elfy, ya got-"

"By the gods!" Kaenniar shouted as the feeling of a bony hand taking his, the chill frightening him to the core as he jerked backward to eye the skeletal man above him, instinctively scurrying away as the man cackled, throwing a thumb up to adjust the broad-rimmed hat above his head.

"KAH-HA-HA!" the skeletal man managed in shallow breathed, howling laughter, shaking his head, "Reckon y'ain't seen'a Forsaken before, eh? Ya know, I was quite'n the lookah back in my fleshy days. Hide ya wives, hide ya daughtahs- Ol' Saint D-!"

"I-I-I- I mean, I've heard of the Forsaken, but-!" Kaenniar explained hurriedly, "I-I just…  _Seeing_  you is just, uh-"

The Forsaken muttered with slight disappointment, "Bah, ya shoulda seen me when I'a saw m'first 'saken myself. Nearly yell'd my bones off! KAH!"

Kaenniar watched with slight hesitation as the Forsaken turned, dropping off a flask of deeply blue liquid beside him before hobbling off toward a nearby tree, "Yeh, saw ya comin' on down that mount'in 'n thought ya might be 'n need a somethin'. Turned up just 'n time, I reckon, by the look of it. Elfy."

"El- I'm Kaenniar," he quickly corrected, not exactly fond of the nickname, "And you are?"

"Eh, call'n me Loisl," the Forsaken explained easily, turning around to slide down the side of the tree into a seated position, relaxing with a contented sigh, "Loisl Godwin."

Kaenniar nodded, "Well, uh, thank you very much Loisl."

"Not much thanks need'd, Elfy!" Loisl confirmed under a rather concerned glance from Kaenniar, "'s on mah way out 'ere 'nyway. These'n trees, they put off'n the fruits 'n all that feed mah hounds 'n all. Now, I always carry'n some mana with me ta scare off th' dark'ounds but, just my luck, I- well, perhaps'n just  _your_ luck, I 'ad it 'n me! KAH HA!"

A fleeting worry upon Kaenniar thwarted by his deep thanks for this man keeping him alive, the blood elf slowly began pushing himself up toward his feet, exhaustion still clouding his body as Loisl cautioned, "Now, now, watch it! Yer legs gonna go fast'r th'n a-!"

Sure enough, Kaenniar fell back to the ground, a seething gasp leaving him as he did so, Loisl's continuing speech keeping him from mulling over the failure, "Kah ha! Ya should'a seen me walk'n home aft'r a long night at th' tav'rn! Yo'd a' gotten me a'fright!"

Kaenniar turned his head toward Loisl as the Forsaken asked, "Now where'ya head'n, Elfy? I c'n git yah 'n old 'n dead blood elf if ya hunt'n for one'f 'em."

"No, no," Kaenniar explained, quickly rerouting his answer, "Well, maybe? I just- Okay, look."

He groaned distastefully as he pushed himself into a sitting position while Loisl uncorked another flask of liquid, taking in some himself as Kaenniar began, "I'm, uh- Well, I need to learn how to do some magic, and I don't-"

"Magic?!" Loisl exclaimed, throwing his shoulders up in a heavily confused shrug, "Yah elves got all th' magic 'n th' world, don't 'cha?!"

Kaenniar ashamedly bowed his head, "I don't- Uh, I actually don't carry that much mana. That's why you caught me nearly dead a moment ago."

"Ahhh, I reckon!" Loisl exclaimed, his completely still skull of a face still managing something of a shocked expression, "I tried prodd'n you outta whatev'r funk y' were in, but nothin' worked. I just figured I'd try some mana'n see what happened- I know yah elfies love th' stuff. Might'a remind'd you'a home 'r somethin'."

Kaenniar couldn't help but grin, such a substance coursing through his veins certainly accomplishing that, he thought, even if it wasn't in the way this man was thinking. Even then, as he lifted the flask up, peering at the blue liquid, he couldn't help but see it in the context of Eversong, his entire body feeling that spring warmth that flowed eternal from the Sunwell, encasing his home with that same biosphere that continued day by day.

"So now I'm headed to the Undercity, I suppose," Kaenniar explained further, "Just for somebody that might be able to teach me something, anything, even without much of any mana."

"Pah! Ya came outta this 'hole way 'n nearly died 'fer some magic?" Loisl exclaimed in confusion, "Mighty lucky person'ya doin' this all 'fer."

Kaenniar blushed, "E-Excuse me?!"

"KAH HA HA HA!" Loisl cackled happily, slapping his bony torso, "Ya think me mad, but ev'n  _I_ know 'em when I see'm! Only thing people'n risk th'ir lives fer. Look'n here, Elfy, I'll go get tha' cart 'n roll ya on down t' Brill. By then, ya' should'n be walkin' again 'n I'll send ya proper, a'right?"

Confused, Kaenniar watched the skeletal man as he pushed his old bones up to his feet, grabbing at his aching back before stumbling back off down the river, "W-Wait! Loisl!"

"Now what's it, th'n?!" Loisl questioned with slight annoyance.

Kaenniar wondered aloud, "W-Well you just-! I mean, I'm just some guy you just-"

"Nah, I know ya 'n yer kind quite well, Elfy," Loisl explained with something of a grin in his tone, "I was one'a you back'n mah fleshy days. One of 'em lovers'n all. It won't put me out'n anythin'; I gotta get to Brill 'nyway. Just sit put'n I'll get th' cart, reckon?"

Kaenniar's heart sank as the old skeleton of a man hobbled off, just catching the faintest of regretful tones within his voice. Wondering further about the man's history, a rather distasteful one given his current form, Kaenniar sat with a pensive stare toward his flask, swirling the liquid inside as his mind suddenly thought back toward Loisl's earlier words, his eyes peering back up into the distance from the miniscule amount of mana essence.

Quickly, he turned toward the riverbed where Loisl had treaded, crying out, "What if there are deathounds?!"

All he heard was a faint cackling, doing little to quell Kaenniar's worry as his hand tightened around the vial. He still wasn't sure of that man's presence of mind.


	6. Astruge

The dank and humid Undercity wasn't at all what Kaenniar had imagined once upon a time, believing in his younger years that the 'under' part was merely a term coined to draw fear upon the city's enemies, though after an extensive search south of Brill, he had indeed managed to stumble upon the winding city, though now, he was met with a far greater problem. Doing what he could to avoid bumping shoulders with the wildly broad denizens of this place, all ranging from various breeds of peoples he'd only rarely seen, and even then, it was often only in books.

His eyes widened as a massive tauren man shook the ground as he made his way to pass by Kaenniar, the elf unable to move as his eyes remained glued to the large beast of a man, the tauren simply breathing a heated breath, impatiently pushing past Kaenniar as he advanced, leaving the elf stumbling toward the gutter of the circular pathway, his eyes aflutter with wondrous sights that he hadn't any experience observing. He steadily progressed along the outside of the circling road, careful to point out any signposts, having received direction from Loisl before the two had parted in Brill to find Zim'ghahn, a troll friend the Forsaken had developed a business relationship with, and who would more than likely help Kaenniar find whom he needed finding.

Keeping an eye out for posts that had very curiously inept Hordish text, some that he could barely even make out, Kaenniar instead went on his own intuition so far as following the directions went, aiming for one of the lower quarters of the city, avoiding the squadron of abominations sauntering carelessly down the city's massive ramparts. With a gentle gasp, taking in whatever fresh air there was down these depths, Kaenniar made his way along, bringing a hand to massage his face while an exhausted sigh escaped him, shaking his head.

"By the gods," he quietly exclaimed to himself, the fumes of the city catching him in a foulness that reached his mind, keeping an eye out, "Let's see… The grates with a twist in the eighth bar…"

He rounded the exterior circle of the city, careful not to allow his attentive gaze to take away from his observance when it came to moving out of the way. While not as packed as the merchant quarter, the outer district was still rather lively, forcing Kaenniar to match his search with his attentive glances toward so many foreign-looking people, catching the largest taurens beside the tiniest goblins, a truly unique sight to such a man who'd never left Quel'Thalas until now. His torso teetered backward as he tried to retain his sight upon one particular-looking orc carousing through the mild crowd, his ear suddenly peeking at the sound of-

"Hey, mon."

Kaenniar nearly stumbled as he stopped in traffic, the crowd behind him shoving him to the side before he quickly recovered his footing, asking sincerely as he eyed the troll sitting near the closest gutter to the center of the city. Beneath his crossed legs sat a rather ornate tapestry that had been converted into a place set g for some rather ordinary wares, though, being so unfamiliar with the Horde, the collection of tiny, knick-knacky forms of wood might have served a larger purpose than the elf might have previously thought.

"Ya be wearin' da mark uh tha lost n' weary," the troll muttered absently, engrossed by the wooden piece he was currently carving.

Kaenniar scratched his cheek, "Uh, yeah, kind if, but…how did you know that?...sir."

The troll shrugged, "Ya got tha mark above ya head, mon."

Quickly, Kaenniar rose his head, shocked to find a blue light above him, nearly spectral in nature, simply hovering there until the troll waved his hand, the tiny blue flame vanishing as Kaenniar returned his attention to the troll, his informal tone taken with his accent, "This be that Loisl magic, I can sense tha mon."

Spinning his hands atop one another, the troll's face fell into one of slight disgust, "Loisl mon also wanted me ta know he was havin' the bad mojo tonight for dinner. You friends with that mon, ya gotta answer to the Loa of tricks soona' than laytah."

"N-Not exactly- I mean, we're not exactly friends, more like acquaintances. Short form, I don't have the ability to contain mana, and I need to be able to learn how to use magic. Loisl said you could help-"

"Ahh," the troll nodded, "I dun more with less, I assure ya, mon."

The troll pushed himself to his feet, waving for Kaenniar to follow along behind him, but the blood elf turned back toward the tapestry upon the cement ground, speaking quizzically, "B-But your stuff!"

"Lesson one, mon. Ya must sever tha ties to tha world of da physical," the troll nodded knowingly, "Besides, I got connections, mon. Undercity guard be on the lookout should anyt'ing go missin'."

Kaenniar's puzzled face failed to leave him, even as he strode along after the odd-tempered troll, who offered his hand as the two walked along, "I'm Zim'ghahn, but they call me Zim, mon."

"Ah, yes; that was the name I was given," Kaenniar nodded knowingly as he shook the troll's hand, "I'm Kaenniar. of Eversong."

"Oh," Zim replied with a disjointed air, "I'm Zim of the guttah."

Kaenniar's eyes tensed in confusion as Zim turned the corner, forcing Kaenniar to rally along to catch up, though he immediately tripped himself up as he suddenly stopped, his torso teetering forward just over the sitting orc before him, Zim quick to throw a arm over to stop his fall. Recovered, Kaenniar noticed Zim immediately kneeling before the female orc, which he slowly followed in kind, slightly confused at the reverence, before noticing the orc herself was sitting cross-legged, her wrists atop her knees as her closed eyes nearly seemed to float along some ethereal realm, leaving Kaenniar in complete awe.

"Ahem," Zim cleared his throat, earning him a vicious stare from the orc as her single eye flew open, "My lady Astruge, I have brought a-"

"I can see that, attendant," the woman orc, Astruge, immediately spoke in an authoritative air, her second eye emerging as she examined the new guest, "What has he with me?"

Zim nodded respectfully, "He's been sent by Loi-"

"Loisl?!" Astruge interrupted with an irritated tone, "Another one of that man's lackeys?!"

Kaenniar was becoming quite desperate to understand, further, that odd man's reputation.

Zim bowed his head, "It seems that way, my lady Astruge."

The orcess whirled her head toward Kaenniar with a tense stare, demanding quickly, "What brings you here, elf? I was communing when your presence troubled me. You're Sindorei, yes? Your majestic halls and spiraling towers not enough for you?"

"I, uh-" Kaenniar began, "I-"

"You've magic, land, a history worth celebrating; what possibly might I offer?" Astruge questioned with a furious air, "This orc bears nothing that might interest a man such as yourself, least of all the time of day. Sindorei, you'd better have a-"

"I'm a Paleray," Kaenniar admitted in interruption, his shoulders trembling at his own words, "I- I- have no ability to retain mana within my chest."

At that, Astruge's eyes peered suspiciously, critiquing the man beyond his words. Zim, himself, slowly turned his head in wondrous confusion, never figuring a blood elf to have such a thing as an inability to work magic within his hands. He pointed his stare toward Astruge, whose lips pulled to the side, almost in daring curiosity, though her face quickly shifted determinately, arms coiling along her chest as they crossed.

"What is it that you ask? Merely for me to teach you how to use mana despite you having no affinity for it?" Astruge inquired unsurely, "I do dabble in the impossible, young man, but there are things that- What have you, possibly, that would lead me to believe you are capable of dabbling in much the same as me?!"

Kaenniar's fist tightened in fierce resilience, tugging his lips inward before quietly replying, "It's true, I have little to show. All I have is a dedicated spirit, unfamiliar with accepting defeat, and… and a heart full of love for-"

"BAAAH! KAH HA HEH!" Astruge suddenly burst out in a rather boisterous laugh, her body shaking wildly as it wavered back and forth, "KAH HA HEE!"

Zim groaned under his breath, shaking his head dismissively before turning to leave, earning him a wayward glance from Kaenniar before he returned his attention to Astruge, "I- I'm serious!"

"You can't be!" Astruge challenged, wiping away the tears from her eyes, still irrhythmically quivering with titters of laughter, "Love doesn't exist; it's just some silly, stupid thing used as an excuse for people acting stupid. You fuck up a military strategy, bah, blame love of country. Starve to death pining for some pretty little thing? Blame love. It's nothing, zilch, Sindorei, and you'd do best to forget-"

"It is not!" Kaenniar challenged, almost pleasingly, "Love is- It's a determined sense of loyalty, fealty! Love is what makes men rise up when they're knocked down; what makes women rise to the defense of their loved ones or their home!"

Astruge glared at him as though to a wild animal, "You're little more than a child. Can love protect you?"

"W-Well-"

In a split second, Astruge shot a leg out from her seated position, shooting her heel right into Kaenniar's stomach, sending the elf spiraling backward, falling out from the tiny hole in the wall back onto the circular pathway that encircled the city, clutching his torso as he writhed on the ground. He rolled around in place as Astruge followed, hopping down off the platform and circling around Kaenniar's squirming body, shaking her head.

"Love is nothing. You wanted mana? Mana requires a strong heart, a fiery passion to understand, to meld your mind with the key energies of this world; energies placed by the Makers themselves for our use," Astruge noted with a leading air, "Magic is like communing with the Makers themselves, with those Old Gods. and you dare wish to greet such powers with something as…inane as love?!"

Astruge stepped over Kaenniar, flinching reflexively as his hand wrapped around her ankle, the orc about to send a bolt of lightning into the man's face at such insolence, though she was quieted by Kaenniar's deeply sounding voice.

"Can you do the impossible?"

She scoffed, "Fuckin'- I've devoted my life to defying the impossible, boy, and I certainly wouldn't-"

Kaenniar's hand slid away from her ankle, his weakened voice speaking up, "Perfect…"

"Perfect?!" Astruge replied in awed confusion.

Nodding, Kaenniar spoke back up, "I'll be waiting out here… However long it takes until you change your mind."

Insulted, Astruge scoffed before yanking her leg away as though the elf were a hazard, limping away as her gait took on one of futility at having been touched by some worthless being. Kaenniar slowly pushed himself up, still with a hand wrapped around his stomach, jolting awake in shock at the touch of Zim'ghahn, whom had come over to help him.

"Ya lucky that all she do, mon," Zim confirmed solemnly, "Astruge care only fah that which one can see 'n study. Her whole life has been ded'cated ta discoverin' purpose through tha mana arts. That why she so of'en trails inta dah impossible, mon."

Kaenniar watched as the troll stroked his chin, "P'haps you'd bettah move on to anotha' teache', eh? I don't see Astruge feelin' much benevolent to ya, mon."

A tiny smirk stretching across his face, Kaenniar shook his head, "And give up already? I've a goal now- I'm not merely fighting for mana now; I'm fighting for my ideals! For love itself!"

Frowning, Zim rolled his eyes, "Ya truly are a child, mon; Astruge wasn't wrong in that assessment…"

"Hey, come on now," Kaenniar shrugged, "She said it herself; she delves in the impossible. For me to be her student- that's upon the very threshold of impossible, wouldn't you say?"

The troll chuckled, shaking his head, "Even some children are not fools, I s'ppose."

"Thank you!" Kaenniar proudly replied.

Zim shook his head, "I's referrin' to children otha' th'n you."

Kaenniar's face dropped sardonically, leading to Zim to chuckle once again, lazily waving his hand for the elf to follow him, "If ya waitin' fer Astruge's kindness, ya be waitin' a long while. Might's well spend it learnin' a thing'r two. I teach ya wood carve some t'ings; you can make some coin while waitin'."

"Thank you," Kaenniar nodded, his voice light with friendliness as he followed the troll to the blanket, keeping an eye out on the hole in the wall where Astruge's tiny hovel had been dug out, the tiniest of vapor trails escaping from its uppermost cracks.

The troll sat down, with Kaenniar following suit, Zim muttering achingly as he massaged his legs, "Fer a Sindorei with no magic, ya sure are headstrong, mon. I've been Astruge's only pup'l for years, 'n I'm still out here carvin' d'ese here woodlets."

"How'd you manage that?" Kaenniar asked sincerely, picking up one of the carving knives before quizzically examining the slab of wood he'd retrieved as well.

Zim chuckled, a widening grin stretching across his troll face, "I made sure she done never had'a reason ta hate me, my friend."

"Welp, I've just about ruined that, now haven't I?" Kaenniar noted humorously.

Zim shrugged, "Not ta end of tha world, mon. Astruge's rough, but she ain't absolute. Ya can't be when ya dealin' with the mana 'n the mojo. Ya got ta be as fluid as the lay en'rgies themselves, mon, yeah?"

Kaenniar watched him carefully, eyeing his massive hands as they worked around the tiny cylinder of wood, his chisel working on the image of a face within the auburn object, forming something of a moonkin into its side, the elf asking absently, "Any chance you could teach me something?"

Zim chuckled wryly, shaking his head, "I done been warded off of tha magic fer decades now. Ya won't find anythin' with me beyond sophistry, I'm 'fraid. Even then- Explore deep enough, ya may find even my words're quite shallow."

At that, the troll went quite, merely continuing his carving, much to Kaenniar's silent curiosity, cut with a thin line of sadness at Zim's face falling much within the same mood. He lowered his head reverently, staring at the blank sheet of wood, thinking of little else upon that blank slate but the face of Erazen, the vision of which had so weakened since he last saw it. This only led to a quiet sigh, Kaenniar frowning at just how much apart this all felt; how foreign it felt to be apart from Eversong and his lover for such a length of time.

He only hoped it wouldn't be too long before this terrible journey had meaning added to it.


	7. Tutelage

Kaenniar leaned against the cement wall that trailed down the ever-declining stairways of the Undercity, groaning with a deepening aching running like a tremor through his shoulder, having fallen awkwardly after Astruge and kicked him from her perch once again. Two weeks had gone by, with Kaenniar managing to receive some coin from his rudimentary carvings to purchase tiny vials of mana to sate his manalust, his decreasing meal sizes supported by Zim, who graciously offered his new blood elf friend whatever food he had extra, much to Kaenniar's reverent thanks.

The two simply continued their carving, with Zim carefully working his way up to his aged feet at intervals to ensure Astruge hadn't needed anything, sometimes even allowing Kaenniar to take to the tasks when his trollish joints were coursing with arthritis, not that Astruge was made aware of such things. If anything, it allowed Kaenniar both a familiarity of the Undercity, but more importantly, the people of the Horde as well, catching glimpses of the diverse people his Sindorei teachers had intentionally shielded him from. He was almost happy to see them all so different and varied- never did he have to see Erazen in any of their faces, only catching that face of his lover while asleep.

As the days progressed, if nothing else, Kaenniar was engrossed by ideas of where he and Erazen would travel together; beyond the enclosed borders of Quel'Thalas proved to be a magnificent world, Kaenniar catching conversations with roving parties of orcs and tauren, their descriptions of far off lands piquing Kaenniar's excitement in the most magnanimous of ways. He wanted nothing more than to share in these lands with Erazen, leaving behind their homes and becoming one with the open roads of the Eastern Kingdoms.

His whimsical thoughts were immediately halted as Astruge threw a heavy sack at his head, forcing Kaenniar to instinctively slump forward, rubbing his head as the orcess growled, "Zim'ghahn! Fetch me some more ankhs! There should be enough payment in the sack, there."

Kaenniar slid the woven bag from his head, eyeing Astruge just as she turned to enter back into her hovel, "Take that mana-less whelp if you need help carrying 'em- I know you're decrepit."

"Maybe 'n body, my lady Astruge, but certainly not 'n spirit," Zim assured with a chuckle, pushing himself to his feet, "Ya will be done."

Astruge nodded determinately as she ducked back into her hold in the wall, leaving Zim's creaking bones as he waved for Kaenniar to follow, "Ya lucky ya walk'n like that. Crouchin' 'n all that don't help'n much when we become aged."

"Like a fine aged wine that the alcohol inside breaks," Kaenniar grinned, leading Zim into a sputtering of a chuckle as he shook his head.

The troll assured, "I ain't broken yet, elf. Ya bettah not be either; Astruge be askin' you fer help. That's a good sign."

"She asked me for help? She asked  _you_ to get the- things," Kaenniar inquired with a confused tone.

"But she be askin' ya ta help  _me_ ," Zim concluded, "That be her roundabout way of askin  _you_ , elf. She been ignorin' ya 'till now."

Kaenniar nodded, "I guess that's true. What, does that mean I ask for her help again?"

"Not yet; but ya gettin' close," Zim assured as the two strode into the main drag of the Undercity, rounding its massively rotund corridor, allowing the troll to think as the two of them went beyond a crowd of people onto a cement lining that was far less so.

"Astruge, she not trust easy," Zim shrugged, "It takes a strong woman ta rise ta prominence in orc society. She grew up in tha drags of Orgrimmar, nary a legacy to her family name. Made ta be a brood-bearer, if anything; that ain't exactly the most noble of tasks, unless you da mother of some powerful Chieftan 'r somethin'. Ya hear stories of tha orc woman bein' so ugly, they are put 'n shawls while matin', even with their own people. I'm not sure how true dat all is, but- Astruge, she envisioned somethin' bettah. But yah don't find any orc women in history beyond those who bred greatness or were bred by greatness."

Kaenniar's brow dropped, listening carefully as Zim continued, "Her magic, tha goals in her mind, anyway- they got her forced from her home. from her city. 'n she's spent her entire life tryin' ta return as one 'a 'dose women who breaks worlds as well as Durotan 'r Grommosh. I t'ink…"

His eyes rising curiously, Kaenniar watch Zim scratch his neck, deliberating with himself whether to spout of his own opinion, "I t'ink… She just lookin' fer a place ta call her own. 'r somethin' she can think of as such. That ain't found in a hole of th' Undercity. nor's it found among her people, given her skillset and her lineage. She's rough, but… She's just 's unsure as anyone else."

Zim shrugged, "Just m' thinkin', anyway. I had t' be opportunistic ta learn  _that_ much. She knows ya ain't leavin' now; might be why she gave ya this task, why she kicks you 'n passin', why she hits you with stop as. She just wants ta see if she can trust ya with the rigors of her knowledge, of knowin' her at all, as brusque as she is. Whatevah ya want, ya hav'ta earn it, elf."

"I understand," Kaenniar nodded.

With a slow nod, Zim replied mod-stride, "Good thing, mon. Ya got a determined heart, I know dat. Not many people'd chip off an entire nail with tha chisel 'n keep on goin'."

Kaenniar grinned, "There was a little girl watching me carve something; I couldn't stop and disappoint her."

"Yet ya could tell out obscenities?" Zim questioned with a laugh, forcing a frown upon Kaenniar's face.

The elf complained, "Hey, come on, give me some credit for apologizing while still in searing pain. Look, the nail still hasn't-"

Bringing up his once-mangled nail, Kaenniar's eyes went wide as he noticed it having returned to its normal state, causing him a magnanimous gasp before his hand could fly up closer to his face, "It-! You saw it before, didn't you?!"

Zim shrugged, "Ya didn't get too close ta magic with ya people either, I guessin'…"

"Well, no, I was a bit of an out- Look, this was magic?! It looks so natural!" Kaenniar exclaimed heatedly enough, still examining the dismangled nail with shock.

His troll companion chuckled, "Astruge be doin' just that. I told ya, she workin' with tha impossible."

"I just thought you meant-"

Zim retorted in interruption, "She be talkin' to tha lady elders of the past, those who've been deceased many years. I be doubtin' a nail-"

"She's doing what?!" Kaenniar asked aloud, the curiosity in his voice molding alongside the awe tinging his loud tone.

Without answering, Zim turned into a shop that had been worn into the granite walls of the city, ducking into the hanging drapes of the entryway as Kaenniar slid on in after him, his lips pursed in shock as he quickly examined the odd-looking knick-knacks lining the walls. Zim quickly waved him closer to him, the two men coming to the counter as the undead man behind the counter shifted his head suspiciously, as if unsure of the two guest's intentions.

"Names," the undead man asked, more as a command than a request.

Zim grumbled, "Ya be knowin' it's me, Call."

The man's empty eyes turned toward Kaenniar, "I'm not acquainted with  _this_  one, and quite frankly, I ain't about to take  _your_  word when it comes t' vouching for him! You'd bring the entire Horde 'n here if ya had the chance!"

Kaenniar caught Zim's sidelong glance as the troll explained mildly, "I might be bringin' in a few unwelcome types 'n here from time ta time…"

"Unwelcome?!" Call demanded with offense, "My wares're certifiably  _un_ certifiable! Ya get those manawraiths on me, 'n I'm-!"

A voice emerged from behind the curtains of the entrance, a green hand reaching through to push away the thick lines of fabric, "Litton Call. You should know by now, I'd never have that."

The undead man frowned, his eyes growing more dead as his arms crossed before his chest, "Astruge…"

"Astruge?!" Kaenniar exclaimed, suddenly terrified that the woman had followed them amidst their earlier conversation.

Sure enough, the orcess stepped into the tiny shop, shrugging carelessly as she strode in toward her trollish assistant, "Zim'ghahn's judgement is as good as my own. Besides, I'd never let anything happen to my favorite shop."

Call grumbled distastefully, "Only 'cause it's so cheap…"

"Hey now, I ensure you get by," Astruge replied simply, "I can't have you packing up shop when I- Are those Nage baubles?!"

She dashed toward the counter, forcing her way in between her assistant and Kaenniar, before nearly collapsing into the shopkeeper's desk in wonderment, a single finger poking at the tiny, glowing object in front of her. Kaenniar turned to Zim with confusion, though the troll merely nodded, a motion that seemed more comforting coming from one so much older and, hopefully, wiser.

"Anyway, we be needin' some ankhs," Zim spoke up, uncertain of Astruge's faculties by this point, presenting the sack of coins.

Litton Call returned his stare to Kaenniar, "Not with  _him_  here. Nine of ten people who'd love to put me outta business are blood elves! I ain't about to risk-!"

"He's my student," Astruge muttered, rising to her feet, "and that bauble is from the Slitherblade tribes, not the Blackfathom ones."

Call's voice seethed, "Do  _what_?!"

"Someone must've taken you for a-"

"Not the  _bauble_!" Call countered, "The  _student_!"

Kaenniar spoke up timidly, awash with his own confusion, "Yeah, I-"

"I thought you'd ask," Astruge groaned, slipping the coin-filled sack from Zim's grasp and dropping it atop the desk with a massive  _THUMP_ before the sound of sliding coinage brought the sack toward the table, "I only need two ankhs. The rest of that is to buy your cooperation."

Litton Call's eyes slid suspiciously, his body slowly beginning to slump to the side before grabbing two ankhs from behind his desk, sliding them cautiously across the desk toward Astruge's waiting clutches.

"I don't need it bein' ten outta ten…" Call muttered.

Astruge smirked, "I assure you, my friend, it won't be. This elf knows his place. Don't you?"

Her fierce-looking face turned toward him, Kaenniar felt a whole sense of uncertainty, quickly stammering to life, "Y-Yes."

Nodding her assurance, Astruge returned to Call, "See? I train them all well; you should know that, of all people."

" _Too_   _well_ …" Call repeated in a smarmy sort of way, as though reading her words as sardonic, yanking the sack of coins back toward him, "Just take the ankhs and leave. I can't have you three in here avertin' business."

Astruge smiled, grappling the two men's arms on either side of her and turned to leave, taking care not to accidentally pull one of Zim's joints out of alignment. Only after they'd left did she relinquish her hold, walking silently back along the circling road as Kaenniar watched with confusion, and a tad bit of curiosity, sharing his gaze with both her and Zim, the troll curling his lips inward in his own investigative manner.

"Well, what's the hold up?!" Astruge wondered loudly, returning to a more characteristic attitude, "I won't be having you two sharing stories about me behind my back as well."

Kaenniar shot a terrified glance toward Zim, though the troll merely chuckled, "Never underestimate one who so easily does the impossible."

"You heard us?!" Kaenniar questioned shakily, "W-Why didn't you-?"

"What Zim'ghahn said was the truth- well, it was until he began prattling on about me wanting a home or whatever the hell. What have I to worry about the truth?" Astruge asked.

Kaenniar spoke up again, "And that bit about me being-"

"Are you two gonna get a move on?!" Astruge instructed, turning to walk off, leaving Kaenniar wanting.

So close, perhaps, to his goal, Kaenniar rushed to catch up to the orcess, grabbing her arm to stop her, though that only released a snarling glance from the woman as she whipped around defiantly, yanking her arm away from his grasp.

"How  _dare_  you-"

"You said I was your student!" Kaenniar spoke up, insistence pasted throughout his voice, "Is that true?!"

Astruge scoffed, "I was covering my own hide back there, Paleray, 'n don't you forget that."

His heart dropping into his gut, Kaenniar weakened considerably, his arms tingling listlessly as his energy dissipated, "But-… But…"

The orcess shrugged as she threw her open hands down her tunic to straighten out the wrinkles Kaennier had left it, "You haven't even  _asked_ ; why should I take you under my tutelage?"

His ears perking, Kaenniar's eyes arose, staring up toward Astruge's uninterested glance. Was this an 'in'? Was Astruge indeed offering him instruction, if only he asked now? His chest fluttered with possibility, his quest so closely reaching its pinnacle.

"L-Lady Astruge," he asked, emulating Zim's usual title for her, suddenly speaking with a furious haste, "Teach me, please!"

He felt his skin tingle with worry as Astruge's eyes narrowed toward him, as if deep in consultation, a final attempt to figure out this man that had simply appeared there. Whom had nothing to offer besides that futile thing known as 'love'.

"In my many years," she began, her tone rising, "I wouldn't ever take you as a pupil."

Kaenniar's eyes tightened, half-expecting such an answer. He bit his lip, lowering his head to think of the logistics of working his way to the next person to ask, yet with little coin, though his ears continued to catch Astruge's seething speech.

"You're a blood elf, wholly worthless without magic. And then you come to  _me_  with 'love's being your only advantage, or so you claim. All I see is somebody so stupid as to hear 'no' and stick around like some vagrant, thinking there would ever be a chance of a 'yes'," Astruge criticized, her lips turning into a frown as her arms crossed.

"And yet, I will take you," she grumbled, earning her a sudden upturned face from Kaenniar, just about snapping g his neck at the speed of such a motion.

"W-What?" "Huh?" Kaenniar and Zim both spoke up in shock.

Astruge shrugged, "Were it up to me, I'd have you kicked out of my way. I began feeling bad about the passive-aggression I showed against you anyway. But I am but a mere servant to those great women before me, and if they see something about you, particularly Mewir Aridlash… I have little choice but to follow their direction if I truly wish to become like them."

"I- I don't-" Kaenniar spoke up incredulously, "I don't believe I understand."

Grumbling underneath her breath, Astruge explained, "Of course not. I use these ankhs to resurrect those old, defeated spirits, and I study from them as I might a teacher. How did you think I meant when I spoke of doing the impossible?"

"I- Well, not that," Kaenniar stammered.

Astruge rolled her eyes, "Aridlash, an old orcess from the Second War who died as one of the highest Chieftains. She seems to have taken a liking to you, elf, though I could speak as to why. She happened to appeal to my pride, mentioning how neat it'd be to work magic out of somebody who cannot possibly do such a thing. I can't exactly arg-"

"Th-Thank you!" Kaenniar exclaimed, leaping toward Astruge, who immediately recoiled in terror, arms outstretched to fend off the invader.

"H-Hey! No touching!" she shouted dismissively, still with fright in her voice, "Zim! Get your little elf under control!"

Zim could only chuckle, only stopping once his aching back demanded his immediate attention.

Astruge warned, having calmed down herself, "Look, for one, no promises. I may deal with the impossible, but I'm no miracle worker- leave that to the Pantheon. I merely do as the gods allow. Second, you'd better listen to my every instruction. Litton Call didn't meet me as an undead, I'll let you know."

A chill ran down Kaenniar's spine, but he'd already known he would accept. Even now, with that threat of a fate worse than death hanging in the air, Kaenniar had little else but to reply affirmatively. He already knew that a life without Erazen, his beloved partner, was not a life he would ever choose to live, anyway.


	8. Reunion

Erazen pittered out from the Academy, his steps taking a particularly meandering gait on this night as his low head kept watch only of the ground beneath his footing. Another grueling day of work had left him exhausted, and the prospect of returning to the very same existence tomorrow left his mind awander with thoughts of Kaenniar. Where might that elf have gone? Were Erazen to leave tonight, where might he find him? These sort of nights often called such thoughts to his mind, the biting cold of winter reminding him so strongly of the warmth Kaenniar offered him. Even dimmed from a day's worth of punishment and hateful put-downs, Kaenniar's eyes often were the brightest things Erazen could ever hope to train upon him.

He strode down toward the lane, taking him toward the archway where the two had shared their last goodbye, months ago, leaving the man with a bittersweet tingle at the back if his neck, sighing as he peered beyond the archway, where Kaenniar had run off. If he had emulated him, just run off this very moment, could he ever catch up to him? Then again, he though to himself, with slight amusement, perhaps that was his curse, his punishment, for not going along in the first place. Now he was forced to endure his bed alone, the Academy, all these places where such cherished memories plagued his mind- all because he couldn't go anywhere, lest Kaenniar also be unable to locate him.

What if Kaenniar had indeed made good on that promise months ago? Might he possess some magical prowess after all? The thought burned into Erazen's mind as he thought of it, a streak of jealousy coursing through him at the idea of somebody else offering mana to the man he loved. The bitterness subsided rather quickly; to be sure, skin long as he learned, that was all the quicker he would return, just as chilled and weary as Erazen, to the arms of his lover. The grueling weeks had worn their toll of Erazen, and without Kaenniar's tender words, his curled up body against Erazen to give him pause, his days seemed less and less worthwhile.

Erazen's boots clomped in the night breeze, echoing along as he stepped underneath the archway, the breezeway caused by the enclosure forcing his arms drawn up to his chest, crossed together as he lowered his head, opening his lips to breath a hot breath into his arm to mirror back against his face, shaking his head at how lonely such a thing felt now. At one point, he could feel Kaenniar's warmth whenever the thought crossed his mind, even his touch could be recalled with enough sensation to feel him upon his skin without him even being there. As his abilities to summon such things diminished, his loneliness increased; tugging at his pillow wasn't nearly as welcoming as having Kaenniar there to tighten his own grasp around Erazen.

He still had his duty to his people, but even then, the thought of such unwelcoming attitudes toward the man he loved, a man to whom he would easily bow down in worship if it meant him returning on this very night, began to tug at Erazen's mind. For so long, it was easy to push it aside and pretend it might one day go away, and at some point, a great shame fell upon Erazen. That was so easy for him to conclude;  _he_  wasn't the one being abused. A supposition he would often fear had come too late for him to atone for.

Stepping out from the archway, Erazen relinquished his crossed arms, his chainmail armor rustling before giving way to a disheartened sigh, his heart tugging at chest as if in a hurry to leave him, either to punish him further or, perhaps to lead the man to his lover. Such a childish thought reminded Erazen of Kaenniar, one whom such childishness was his charm. He supposed he would play along, if only to feel some connection to his lover, raising his head to scope out wherever his heart might have spun toward were it freed from his broad chest, his eyes suddenly coiling in such anguished surprised that they effortlessly summoned a swelling of teardrops upon his cheeks.

Just down the along the road, there stood Kaenniar, his armor having been shed for such comfortable garments the origins of which Erazen was so unsure. The wayward man only smiled at Erazen's emotional reaction, the satchel strap in his hand silently sliding from his grasp and onto the ground.

"B-By the gods- Kaenniar, is that-?"

Erazen's throat choked up as he stood there, his heart pounding while his hand covered his mouth, "You're- You're not some- apparition, are you?!"

"Were it so easy to see your face again," Kaenniar grinned, having better prepared for the moment.

Still, any preparation couldn't have readied him for Erazen to break into a sprint, arms wide, before slamming into his lover's arms, grappling around his chest as he carried his momentum to the side, the two swirling around in a revolution before coming to a stop. Reaching a hand to cradle his lover's head, Erazen immediately let loose a torrent of kisses atop Kaenniar's face, each peck like lightning as his manafused lips surged happily, his tears falling down his cheeks until Kaenniar's face began to taste of salt.

"Okay, okay," Kaenniar chuckled, putting no effort into pushing the man away, "How long was I gone for? I thought  _I_  was the-"

"Even a golem would break into tears having gone without you for four months," Erazen elaborated in word, his voice choking, tearing himself from his kisses only to add, "Wherever have you been?! Kaen, it's been so long!"

Kaenniar readied himself before gently pulling away from the whetted man, smiling softly as he withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket, "It's been so long for me, too, Eraz."

"I suppose so," Erazen broke through a slight chuckle as he drew a wrist across his eyes, "Seemed like so much longer."

Softly, Kaenniar brought his hand up to pat at Erazen's face, dabbing at the streaks of tears with a smile as though he were delicately admiring a work of art, "I knew you might break character. Brought some help with me."

Erazen rolled his eyes, sniffling away the remnants of his body's tearful reaction, before losing his attention on Kaenniar's lips, his lover having pushed himself up onto his toes, steadying himself by way of the handkerchief on Erazen's cheek. He wrapped his other arm around Erazen, hugging him so, so tightly, leaving the superior of the two to return the favor with his own embrace, bringing Kaen's body ever so closer into his powerful frame.

Pulling away for a breath, Kaenniar quietly explained, "My nights were so cold…"

"As were mine," Erazen confirmed, losing the attention his eyes were giving to Kaenniar as they wandered off somewhere in space, "I was such a fool, letting you take all that abuse. Starting tomorrow, Kaen, I swear to the gods themselves, I will march into Mirthswitch's enclave and demand- Kaen?"

Kaenniar's eyes began to fade, sadly, as the two broke their embrace, the younger of the two sliding his handkerchief back into his pocket, "I'm not here to stay, Eraz. I was completely honest when I said as much earlier. I have no life here to return to, you know that."

Slightly miffed, Erazen's eyes narrowed sadly, his head turning ever so slightly to the side as Kaenniar turned to retrieve his satchel, unzipping its top to reach in for its contents, "I've been in the Undercity for the last four months."

"The Undercity? That Hordish underworld?" Erazen asked with tremendous concern, "Those abominations will eat your limbs!"

Kaenniar chuckled, "Nah, it's not that bad. I only saw that happen once, anyway. And look-"

He slid a wooden cylinder from the satchel, turning its presentation-side toward Erazen, whose eyes widened curiously as Kaenniar spoke, "I carved that. It's the Icon of Blood- well,  _my_  take on it, anyway. For all my practice, it's not all that good."

Despite such words, Erazen took the small totem in his hands, eyeing it with a smile, "I think it looks wonderful."

Kaen couldn't hide his grin before rummaging through his satchel once again, "It was great. I saw so many people I'd never seen before, so many cultures, foods; I was on scrap change, but when I had the chance, I went to the stalls for some Tauren Delight or some orcish stews. So many people roaming around, Eraz, I-"

His shoulders fell along with his lips, frowning wistfully as though lost once again in that brand new world, "So many things I so wished to share with you. That's the only reason I'm here, Eraz. to get you."

Erazen took a deep breath, trying to silence himself as he did so, though he merely dropped his arm, still clutching the totem, "Kaen, I- I so desperately love you. My feelings for you, they- I couldn't, in a million lifetimes, even begin to describe them or put them into verse. When you were gone… Those nights without you, they were so empty and tormentous to my heart, like a tree without its roots, I merely existed without any anchor. and having you so close to me, holding you; not having that, I- It felt as though my very life with without meaning, not having that boyish smile of yours to entertain me, or those lips to comfort me. But Kaen, my entire life is… My life, my  _ancestry_ , his here in Eversong."

With trembling lips, Kaenniar's eyes began to shine with subtle magnificence, turning to the ground between them and falling to his knees, grabbing a nearby stick as Erazen's soft, saddened eyes watched curiously, "Kaen, I-"

"You promised!" Kaenniar reminded with a defiant tone, striking the dirt in a circle with the butt of the stick.

After completing the circle, he reaching into his satchel for another tiny sack, dumping its contents out into the circle while Erazen's eyes locked onto the twice-colored marbles that rolled along restlessly until they stopped. At that, Kaen returned to his feet, staring at Erazen with a serious expression.

"You promised. I beat you in a game of Dalaran Marbles, and I become yours, and you become mine," Kaenniar explained, still with heated defiance, "I had to de-grime the bottoms of a troupe of five tauren hooves to get the coin for these, and I'm getting my money's worth, whether you like it or not."

Whatever whimsical ideas Erazen may have had moments earlier, particularly those of Kaenniar having somehow worked up some ability to wield magic, had been lost to his own practicality, now that he watched the younger man setting up a game by hand that had always been prepared without such appendages. He knew there'd be some trick the man had cooked up, that had to be the case; some sneaky little thing to beat him, though Erazen couldn't imaging what, given the very nature of the game itself. Nothing but magic could be used beyond the games set up, in this case at least, and as Kaenniar stood and stepped backward, Erazen's eyes softened sadly, knowing that Kaen wouldn't want him to allow him to win; even for a man so childish, so abused, he had such immense pride. But the idea of breaking his lover's heart for a game… Erazen's own chest began to hollow.

"Come on," Kaenniar shrugged, "Age before beauty."

Erazen's lips curled in faux amusement, his eyes jumping up toward his lover's face, "Kaen, I-"

"And no going easy," Kaenniar ordered, "I'm more ready for you than you think. You take blue, I'm yellow."

Shoving his hands into his pockets indifferently, Erazen's shoulders slumped, dropping his head before one of the blue marbles shot toward one of the yellow balls of spherical crystal, launching one from the ring while also ricocheting and firing one just near the edge.

"Rea eranu," Erazen frowned, "That's one point for me."

Kaenniar nodded, bringing his open hands together, rubbing them vigorously beneath Erazen's critiquing glance. His lips fell backward into his mouth in focus, body leaning forward, and slowly his hands fell away, clenching into fists as he stared at the ringed area in which the game was to progress. Erazen peered listlessly toward his lover as Kaenniar's lips tightened forcefully, mustering up whatever force he could upon the marbles between the two men. His eyes visibly strained, the skin above his chin growing pale as blood fell away from his lips growing ever more forceful.

Erazen lowered his gaze, heartbroken by the effort, wondering what Kaen had hoped to accomplish to begin with. Perhaps he'd merely been taken for a ride by some shady individual and convinced he could perform magic despite himself. Given the situation, Erazen knew, Kaen might be willing to believe in such power simply to return. Still, he recused to simply perform Kaen's task for him, knowing that not only would that force the younger man into a sulkish attitude, but soon enough, a legitimate curiosity set in upon Erazen's mind. Why was he trying so hard if not because he had, indeed, been taught something of something magical..?

A drop of blood hitting the ground broke Erazen's train of thought, his eyes jumping up to catch Kaen's fists, having tightened so much that his nails had dug into his skin, his effort growing more and more dire as time passed, though Erazen failed to move, taking the passing moments in stride, desperately attempting to ascertain whether or not the man was capable of-

_chrrk_

Erazen's eyes widened. Even if he hadn't seen, he had felt the wavering atmosphere against his skin reverberating in time with the movement of a single yellow, crystalline marble toppling around in a barely noticeable, lazy circle, but certainly moving nonetheless. Without any outside influence, save for the only source of magic that could possibly be acting upon the tiny object. Erazen drew a sharp breath, eyeing Kaenniar with a look of awe, yet his lover remained ever forceful, gritting his teeth as his desperation increased heavily, tears welling up within his eyes as he recognized his loving future being torn from him if only by his own incompetance.

Erazen offered, his voice scorched with admiration, "Kaen, I-!"

Quickly faltering toward a speechless attitude, Erazen remained in awe, lips agape in shock though Kaenniar gradually grew into quivers, frustration settling in, but never resignation.

The temples at either side of his pulsing violently, Kaen's head split into a migraine-like violence, his body suddenly collapsing to his knees as he fell into submission by his own body's futility, a lifetime of ridicule and hatred aimed at what he was suddenly coming to a head as he realized that very same thing was what was about to strip any possibility of happiness from him. His head falling past his shoulders, Kaenniar struck the dirt beneath him with his fist, growling in anguish as tears pattered onto the dirt before him, streaking into darkening ridges as reminders of his body's worthlessness.

"I JUST did it  _yesterday_ , I-!" Kaen cried out, his throat burning at his volume, his arms quaking vigorously in upset.

"K-Kaen…" Erazen spoke up, taking a step forward only for his lover to shout out in retaliation, leaving g Erazen shook.

" I  _know_  I'm worthless'n a waste of life! I know I'm nobody worth fighting for and-! Fuck, I know I'm nothing but a shield for the men behind me… But by the gods, I hoped and prayed, so dutifully, that in needing only you, I- I could probably amount to anything other than a cretin…"

His breaths turned into quiet whimpers as his eyes burned from his tears, "Nothing but a Paleray…"

Before a single other word could be uttered, a hand found itself upon Kaen's shoulder, jolting him to a start as his head shot upward, finding Erazen rounding along his body until both his hands found their way to either of Kaenniar's shoulders. The younger of the two stared over his shoulder, too confused to hide his mess of a face, Kaen's face open with a certain comforting confusion from Erazen's softly smiling face.

"E-Eraz…" he managed before realizing anymore would more than likely force a croaking sound to leave him.

His lover slid his hands down to Kaenniar's sides, pulling him back up to his feet, allowing Erazen's head to rest saunteringly so upon his shoulder, "You didn't see it?"

"See w-what?"

Erazen smirked knowingly, wrapping his arms around Kaenniar's midsection, "You might just need a bit more of a spark."

In a swirl of sensations, Kaenniar's body bolted awake, mana flowing through him, flourishing, as though hunting for the single quickest way to pour out from his fingertips. A quivering breath escaped Kaenniar as his body recoiled in Erazen's arms, his superior tugging mightily to keep his lover aloft until his footing returned, Kaen whipping his head back around with a look of sheer awe back toward his mate, Erazen grinning wide in reply.

"Such beautiful, bright eyes…" he mused, staring into Kaenniar's face, "I might just enjoy staring into them every morning, should you win me o-"

_ZAP!_

A wild burst of electric energy burst out from Kaenniar's body, blowing a plume of dust into the air that fluttered along as the man shook, trembling in pure astonishment at what had just happened, though Erazen merely chuckled.

"Maybe hit the marble this time, my love."

Kaenniar's breaths hung in his throat from the suddenness of his action, his eyes returning to the circle upon the ground with a dizzying gaze. He slowly lifted a hand, feeling Erazen's mana essence flowing through him, such a welcoming, inviting warmth that so easily seemed to direct Kaen's movements without the man holding him speaking even a word. His hand tensed, when suddenly, his yellow marble blew up in a burst of crystal, its largest particles exploding, almost guided, into each and every one of their blueish counterparts, sending each and every one of Erazen's marbles flying from the circle, each of Kaen's other marbles simply lying there without so much as a shake.

Kaen's body began to vibrate in excitement, his tear-stained face breaking open into a giddy smile as his head spun around to meet his shoulder, "Eraz, I-!"

And there, he was met with those loving lips of Erazen, a touch he'd gone without for so many nights. Lost in his exuberance, Kaen was now lost in his lover, Erazen sure to hold him tighter as the both of them shared in their mutual affections, breaking away only after Kaen's excitement boiled over.

"Anoduna's Star, I-! I did it!" he spoke up heatedly, "I fucking did it!"

Erazen smiled, "You did."

Kaen laughed, "Ha ha! I- I-! My teacher, she- She said she worked with the impossible, but-! By the gods!"

His body convulsing excitedly, Erazen released his grip, allowing Kaenniar to hop into the air, whooping and hollering with reckless abandon, the older of the two simply smiling as he looked on, imbibing in his lover's childish reverie, hanging his hands from his pockets.

"Well, whatever your teacher did, it seems they taught you something about working with the impossible," Erazen shrugged.

Kaenniar whipped around, confused, "W-What do you mean?"

Erazen lowered his head to hide his own childish smirk, surely hiding a blush as well, "You seem to have stolen somebody who, not moments earlier, thought his home was here in Eversong."

In gradual realization, his exuberance having clouded the stakes of this game, Kaenniar's mouth fell open, a shiver rushing down his spine as Erazen raised his head, a reddish hue coving his face, "I'm tired of watching you do impossible feats to fight for me while I do nothing."

He smiled, "My home is wherever you are, Kaen."

A deep sigh escaped Kaenniar as his chest wilted for but a moment, his brow curling upward in happiness exemplified, tears once again rushing to his eyes as he charged in Erazen's direction, their bodies reversed from earlier when they'd met with Kaenniar now diving into Erazen's arms, shooting his arms around his body for any and all sensations that came from their connection. His speech slurred as his emotional outpouring melted into the expanse of mana within him, rushing a hand up to take hold of Erazen's hair, pulling his face into his shoulder, seeking any part of the man's body that wasn't shared between the two of them to be fused into a single being.

"B- You… You mean it?!" Kaenniar asked wildly.

Erazen nodded, his nose sliding against the exposed skin of Kaen's shoulder, "I do. I'm tired of being that fool who hides from the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Kaenniar chuckled happily, their shared embrace allowing him a moment to dial down his excitement in order to simply feel their shared warmth swirling from body to body, his eyes suddenly bowing in alert as he noticed Erazen's shoulders trembling, turning to watch his lover's own tears escaping onto his shoulder, feeling his nails digging along his skin as Erazen balled his hands, pulling Kaen ever closer.

Lovingly, Kaenniar began to stroke Erazen's head, lightly allowing his own nails to trail along his scalp, knowing he'd had his own bout of emotion and now allowed Erazen his moment to shiver, lost within his body, Kaen wholly enjoying the idea of being able to share such a thing.

"You're so cute," Kaenniar muttered quietly, earning him a halting laugh from Erazen, who simply shook his head with a light smile.

Kaenniar pondered for a moment, rational thought seemingly so sparse at the moment, quietly asking, "What's next, then?"

"I don't know," Erazen answered, half-chuckling as he pulled away, though kept his hands atop Kaenniar's shoulders.

"Well, do you need to go get your stuff or something? I hate to sound so insistent, but-" Kaenniar finished lightly, ashamedly pulling his lips inward.

Erazen smirked, "That insistence brought us together in the first place, dork."

Kaenniar laughed silently, dropping his head as it shook back and forth in disbelief at such a name directly after what had just transpired, "Well, I mean-"

"Let's just go," Erazen concluded quietly, forcing Kaenniar's stare back upon him, "You're all I need."

Kaenniar's eyes curled in confusion, "But- Your medals, clothes, those bed sheets I can't help but roll around in they're so comfortable, your- Your championship banner…"

Silently, a smirk spread across Erazen's face, "I've already got my Dalaran Marbles champion right in front of me."

His heart swelling, Kaenniar unleashed an unintentional, fierce blush as he tried to hide his face, though Erazen was quick to yank a hand away, pulling his lover's cheek closer so as to see his face once again, "Let's just go. We'll make our own way, dance under the stars, share kisses in the mornings. Nothing's going to keep me from you. Not anymore. I'm done withholding- I want you all to myself, no matter the time of day."

Somewhere within those words, Kaenniar had all but lost himself in the eyes of his beloved, his blank face earning him a knowing grin from Erazen before simply deciding to share his thoughts physically, leaning forward to share a quick kiss, a gesture that might have a bit more impact, he figured.

That thought, having the ability to hold this man, to kiss him, anywhere he wanted. Erazen wondered why he'd allowed himself anything less than such unbridled freedom and happiness.


	9. Home

Kaenniar's eyes forced themselves shut even tighter as the shining sun broke through the curtains of the inn window, forcing itself upon him as he spun away, rustling the sheets of the bed as he did so, planning on losing himself against the darkness offered by Erazen's body when his face nuzzled against him, though he quickly noticed the man's absence, forcing his eyes open in lazy curiosity, peering over his half-turned body to find Erazen grinning back at him, having drawn the curtains wide to stare out the window and to allow the morning sun to greet the two of them. At such a willful intrusion allowed by his partner, Kaenniar grumbled as he buried his face into Erazen's pillow, his voice muffled by the fluffy material.

"Mut dat out," he complained, much to Erazen's amusement.

He shrugged, taking in Kaenniar's lazy sprawling with a smile, "The best mornings begin with taking in the sun; you know that. We're Sin'dorei, you know; or are you one of those  _other_ elves?"

Chuckling lightly, Erazen fiddled with the curtains until their lengths were tied to the windowsill, remaining open as he strode back toward the bed, "It would certainly explain your aversion to magic, I suppose."

More willing to take in the scent of his lover's pillow than the sunlight, Kaenniar remained buried for a moment before finally returning a look to his lover, "I'll have you know, I-"

His speech stopped its tracks, Kaenniar nearly felt his lungs stripped of breath as he watched Erazen silhouetted by the morning sun, yanking a loose-fitting shirt over his head. His eyes traced the outline of Erazen's skin, catching the scraggly bits of flesh that contoured across the sinewy muscle of his torso, slightly rough patches of hair upon which Kaen's loving hands would stroke. He felt his heart pang as Erazen's head poked out from the comfortable shirt, his face suddenly contorting into a sincerely curious smile as he noticed Kaen's stare.

"What?" Erazen asked.

Kaen shook his head, "I didn't think you needed the shirt."

Scoffing, Erazen's eyes rolled as he approached the bed, dropping a knee onto the mattress before maneuvering himself closer to Kaenniar with a gentle hand, "I'm cold. Doesn't mean I don't love you touching me."

Unconvinced, Kaen returned to the pillow he'd been imbibing in, leaving Erazen with a mischievous smirk as his grip upon Kaen's shoulder tightened, pulling the man backward onto his back before Erazen slid down to lie beside him, "Besides, for all the work you'd done last night- what I remember of it anyway, I think you deserve some attention."

"Blaming the alcohol, are we?" Kaen teased knowingly.

Erazen frowned, "Why are  _you_ complaining? Assuming you aren't teasing, I can think of a handful of ways to convince you that my love can certainly manifest in ways just as nice as your own, and I can attest to thise."

Chuckling, Kaenniar shook his head, "You know I'm teasing."

"I suppose I do," Erazen confirmed, his smile softening as he pushed himself alongside Kaen's body, closing his face upon the tender skin of his lover's side, wholly infatuated with the softness that greeted him, too enamored by the springiness of Kaen's skin that he simply continued to press his lips into him, watching playfully as his indention returned to it's natural state.

"What are you doing?" Kaen asked curiously, earning him a surprised glance as Erazen's eyes coiled suspiciously.

He took another kiss before pushing his way up toward Kaen's face, grinning, "Nothing."

"That's too big a smirk for it to be nothing," Kaenniar noted inquisitively.

At that, Erazen chuckled, hiding his face against Kaen's skin, "Am I not allowed to kiss you?"

"You're not just kissing me, you're- staring."

Erazen hummed humorously, his eyes peering over the peak of Kaenniar's chest, meeting his lovers eyes before raising a hand to press against Kaen's stomach, running it up toward his bare chest, forcing a cacophony of shivers to run along the younger's spine.

"Maybe it's been your life-long aversion to physical labor; your skin is just so sweetly soft," Erazen noted affectionately, though Kaen was less than enthused by his assertion.

"I do  _work_ ," he challenged, biting his cheek, "I'll have you know, I was number one in my graduating class when it came to botanist studies and herbalism."

Erazen chuckled, "Your hands are just as soft."

Grumbling, Kaen suddenly retorted with a fierce grin, "I did work in that Dalaran Marbles games we played. I recall mopping the floor with you!"

"Eh," Erazen murmured in reply, earning him a critical glance.

Kaen asked, "' _Eh_ ', what?"

Erazen shrugged, "In a regulation game, you'd have been disqualified for overuse of magic. That's where the challenge lies, remember."

Frowning, Kaen shot a stare toward his lover, "So what are you saying, that I'm not your champion?"

"I'm saying, by the tenants of the Dalaran Marbling Association, you'd be disqualified," Erazen clarified, stroking a thumb across a slight divot in Kaen's tender skin, "Luckily, I haven't a problem with playing by house rules."

Leaning forward, his body twisting to rise overtop of Kaen's body, Erazen made a quick mark of tightened, pursed lips and trailing saliva atop his lover's chest, taking a moment to take a sniff of his lover, catching the still-lingering scent of their love making the night prior, a bestial sort of musk, indicative of their rougher moments, punctuated by the fragrant bouquet left by the heat of their more tender moments along one another's bodies. Nuzzling only briefly, lest he ruin his well-adorned façade of brusque manliness, Erazen gently laid himself atop Kaenniar, the younger of the two lazily running his fingers through Erazen's hair as he muttered quietly, almost as in passing thought.

"House rules," Kaenniar repeated listlessly, "You make it sound so domestic."

Erazen grinned, "However many places we visit, I'd like to think that, at some point, I'll wake up beside you in a room I'm familiar with, rather than an inn somewhere. or am I being too old when I say that? I know you youngsters don't think of such things."

Replying loosely, Kaen stuck his tongue out, "I'll have you know, you crabby ol' man, I've thought about that myself, quite a lot. I've never had a home, you know that. I can't think of one better than the one we make together."

With the faint beating of Kaenniar's heart, churned by the gently diffusion of mana between bodies, atop his lover's words, Erazen couldn't help but smile, staring off toward the wall as the side of his head enjoyed his lover's warmth.

"You're cute," Erazen reminded easily.

Kaenniar refused to grow annoyed, merely shrugging with his hand lovingly tightening its grip atop Erazen's scalp, "You know, I think I'm growing accustomed to that term. As long you're the one speaking it to me."

"You're too adorable sometimes," Erazen went on with a mischievous smirk, wholly expecting Kaenniar's nails to dig gently into the top of his head in a show of distaste.

"You're pushing it," Kaenniar frowned, though his upset broke quickly amidst a warm chuckle from Erazen that vibrated along the top of his body.

He muttered breathlessly as his lungs gave way to laughter, "Cut it out; that tickles!"

"Does it, now?" Erazen managed in between his own bursts of chuckling delight, digging a finger into Kaen's side which forced the younger of the two to jerk upward into Erazen's body in ticklish reaction.

"Quit it!" Kaenniar repeated amidst his giggling fit.

Erazen smirked, pulling his finger away as he merely massaged his lover's side in apology while Kaen gradually melted back into coherence, "You know I'm ticklish."

"I prefer to think of it as you having such a wonderful laugh, and it being so readily available to me," Erazen smiled.

Kaenniar felt a blush coming on, but at this proximity, he hadn't much in the way of hiding such a thing from the smooth words of the man atop him. Thinking quickly, he ran his hands to either side of Erazen's head, pulling him close and into a kiss, his adoration for the man also tugging at his emotions. He knew Erazen would shut his eyes, he always did, allowing Kaenniar to watch his lover's contented face as the two fell into one another's lips, a pang rushing across his heart. How could this man have ever come to be so contented with the likes of a Paleray like him, he wondered.

As Erazen pulled away to return to whatever worship he'd had in mind, his brow crinkled in worry, catching the tear drop running down the side of Kaen's face, his voice emerging to relieve his lover, shaking his head, "It's nothin', Eraz. I'm just happy is all."

"Maybe a little too happy," Erazen surmised with a smile, "Come on."

His hands dove into the crease between Kaen and the mattress, digging around his lover's head as Erazen pushed himself up to hold Kaenniar's head against his chest to comfort him, "I'll always be here, now, to catch your tears."

Unable to shake his head in disbelief at such words, Kaenniar simply did as his lover suggested. Even though his jubilant tears ceased soon after, Kaen had little reservation about pretending, simply to remain a moment longer lost amongst his lover's warmth.

"I love you," Erazen confirmed, softly, "With every ounce of my being."

Kaen could only struggle to answer, lost as he was, "Wub y'u tube."


End file.
